Better Together
by nerdlife4eva
Summary: Two years from when we first met them, LB and CN find themselves confidently defeating all enemies, even when being bombarded by akumas at an alarming rate. Master Fu reveals the need for new teammates, along with information he has been hiding for far too long. They soon discover that they were only at the beginning of their journey into the heroes they were meant to become.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Notes: This is my first pure Miraculous fanfiction. Reveal will come in chapter 2 and this will include some of the new information released during New York Comic Con (of course my own interpretation of it).**

 **I don't own any of these characters, but I love living in their world for a little while :) Please let me know if you like it! Thank you!**

* * *

"Cat Noir!" Ladybug threw her arm out catching him by the tail and letting it wrap around her wrist as she flung her yo-yo catching it on a hanging flag post. Usually, she flipped him around like a tattered cat toy, but today his weight felt especially heavy on her. They landed in a pile of tangled arms and limbs. The desire to linger, to take in the feeling as they laid close, was completely ignored as they sprang to their feet, breathing heavy. "Either they are getting stronger, or we are getting worse at this." Ladybug wiped a hand across her forehead cursing the lack of absorbency in her suit. It prevented her from sweating in noticeable places, but couldn't stick to the perspiration long enough to clear her vision.

"We are the best in the business," Cat Noir said through gritted teeth. He couldn't wait to capture this akuma and hear Ladybug's famous call which would wipe his pain away. "Hawkmoth is getting stronger and so are his possessed bad guys. It's pretty pawful."

She could see the relief on his face when she laughed. Her exhaustion was making her punchy and even his cat puns were a welcome break from the stress. Akumatized victims were appearing every day, sometimes twice now, almost as if Hawkmoth had an unlimited source of possessed butterflies at his disposal. "Thanks, kitty," she smiled and without hesitation gave him a quick hug, "I needed that." The contact brought her an instantaneous sense of relief and security, although she would never tell her cocky partner that.

Cat Noir sighed into her hair, which was now more of a bird's nest than her normally well-groomed pigtails. He didn't care what the reason was, or that they would probably get the snot beat out of them again, he was going to enjoy the fact that she hugged him on her own. The occurrence of such hugs had increased in the past year and a half, but it was still a pleasant surprise every time it happened. "Alright, lovebug, ready to get back out there? Where is the akuma again?" He scratched his head. She had been screaming about the akuma when they had been picked up and thrown across the field, but he hadn't heard her as he was busy plunging to his potential death.

"The cane," she said, eyes narrowing glancing across the street. "The music is over there now," she pointed across the water to what appeared to be a small stage, "looks like the Performer has grouped his audience for a show."

"Nothing like an old man turned possessed tap dancing sensation to really keep an audience captive," Cat Noir winked at his Ladybug as she groaned next to him.

"Come on, you silly cat," Ladybug grabbed his hand, feeling his fingers wrap into hers and smiling softly at the gesture, "let's go save these people before they clap themselves to death!"

Pouting slightly when she loosened her grip and started running across the field, throwing her yo-yo to carry her beyond the river, Cat Noir shrugged and followed suit. Extending his bo, he caught up to her as she landed neatly on top of a concession stand. "That looks painful," he grimaced as he watched the crowd that had been clapping and chanting for an hour their faces conveying torture that their words could not. "Why do these guys always have to control people? Hawkmoth has issues."

Ladybug let herself chuckle. They had been discussing this very observation last night during training, an activity Master Fu made them participate in even on the most body punishing days. "Control issues, for sure." She was scanning the area trying to decide their best move. The Performer was so wrapped up in his routine that he had yet to notice his new audience members. "I think it's time for my lucky charm. I'm not coming up with any ideas on my own."

"Charm away, m'lady," he attempted a bo from his stooped position and stumbled slightly. His body was feeling every blow of the fight and the feeling was getting worse by the second. "We need to take care of him, and now." Cat Noir felt dizzy, it was time to get rid of this guy and hit the showers.

Dropping to the ground behind the concession stand, Ladybug called for her lucky charm as quietly as possible. As it dropped from the sky, she realized the heavy mass falling toward her was too much for her to handle. Reaching up, she braced for impact, but Cat Noir was faster. Flinging out his bo, he laced it through the brackets on the spotlight, yanking it onto the roof of the concession stand.

"Really?" Ladybug huffed as she climbed back onto the roof, "how was I ever supposed to catch that?" She was shaking her head at the spotlight, glancing at Cat Noir who was grinning.

"See, I am useful!"

He grinned up at her making her heart flutter. She suppressed the urge to hug him again knowing that her time was running out. "Of course you are, alley cat, now help me get this thing in position. Do you think you can bring down the stage without harming the audience?" They pushed the spotlight to aim directly at the stage. Ladybug looked over her shoulder watching the sun disappear knowing that now would be the ideal time to use her oversized lucky charm.

"Cat Noir always brings down the house!" he seemed pleased with himself as he leaped off of the concession stand and slinked through the booths toward the stage.

Ladybug waited, watching his subtle movements until he reached his destination. Once he was in place, she turned on the spotlight, full force, straight into the eyes of the Performer. Caught off-guard, the akumatized choreographer stumbled back from the crowd.

"Plot Twist!" Cat Noir yelled following his cataclysm call, dancing joyfully around the stage slowly demolishing the wood planks. Jumping back, he viewed the damage with his hands on his hips.

Ladybug giggled as she landed on the wreckage, flipping the Performer's cane to her using her yo-yo and breaking it over her knee. Capturing the akuma, she cleansed it and released it into the world glowing bright white. "Help Mr. Santanio out of that hole, Cat," she surveyed the crowd still cheering and clapping, "and then help me toss that spotlight."

Bodies tired and beaten, the heroes climbed back onto the concession stand studying the spotlight. "Well," Cat Noir scratched the back of his head, "I guess we could sling shot it? You can brace yourself on the tree and snag it with your yo-yo and I'll put my bo under it like this." Cat Noir wedged his bo underneath it so it stuck up at an angle. "You yank the yo-yo, and I'll jump on the bow while you yell."

Rolling her shoulders, Ladybug considered other possible options of releasing the lucky charm in the air. Seeing no other option, she hauled herself into the nearby tree, nodding back at Cat Noir. Her miraculous was already down two spots and she needed to get out of there sooner than later. Flipping her yo-yo out so it wrapped the metal handle of the spotlight, she waited for Cat's signal to pull. Mustering the last of her strength, bolstered by laughter as Cat Noir sprang onto his bo like a cat onto catnip, she pulled her yo-yo back to her. The spotlight flipped into the air and she called out, releasing the beautiful swarm of ladybugs over Paris. As the damage began to repair and the audience was released from their never-ending praise fest, she felt her body begin to heal. She had learned in the last few weeks that the pain would disappear and the cuts would close over, but the ache of fatigue would be with her through the night. Sighing as she heard the fourth beep in her ear, she waved to Cat Noir and swung away from the river.

He watched her go knowing exactly how she was feeling. They never caught a break. In the last week there had been seven akuma victims. If he hadn't been on break from school there was no way he could have kept his cover. A thought had started bothering him in the last few days. As he swung over the rooftops to his house, the same thought tickled his brain and aggravated his stomach. Maybe it was Hawkmoth's plan to continuously assault them until their lives fell apart or until they outed themselves. Or maybe…

Cat Noir landed in his room, immediately releasing Plagg. "I'm wiped, feed me and leave me alone!" Plagg slumped down on his kwami sized bean bag, arms and legs flailed out to both sides. Adrien smiled down at his kwami. He was rude and ridiculous but Plagg was also his partner and he knew Plagg was getting as beat down as he was. Unwrapping 3 hunks of cheese, Adrien placed them on a plate next to Plagg, switching Plagg's favorite movie onto the TV. He planned to take a very hot shower and then crash face first down on his bed.

Across town, Ladybug landed on her balcony, peering into her room to assure that her parents were elsewhere. Slipping inside, she felt the transformation coming as she shut the door. Catching Tikki in both of her hands, she kissed her small kwami on the head. "Oh Tikki, I'm so sorry, I know you are as tired as I am." Marinette cradled her small partner, stroking her head.

"I'm so hungry," Tikki whispered, being lured to sleep by Marinette's cuddles.

Marinette softly placed Tikki on her cat pillow, retrieving a giant chocolate chip cookie from her dresser. She broke off a piece and handed it to the sleepy Tikki as she sat down on the bed. Both of them were too tired to speak and sat in comfortable silence as Tikki ate the cookie piece by piece. Once she was completely full, Tikki drifted off to sleep and Marinette eased off of the bed to head for the shower.

Turning on the hottest water she could get from her faucet, Marinette let the warm water wash the tiredness from her body. She had taken (and failed) dance class with Mr. Santanio when she was a little girl. Every day there was a new victim, and each victim was someone she recognized. No more random faces in the crowd. All ten of the last akuma victims had touched her life in some way. Paris was large and filled with people, the chances of each akuma victim knowing her were so small, Alya had even run the numbers. Of course, Alya still didn't know she was Ladybug and had no way to know how scary her figures would be to Marinette. Hawkmoth is getting closer to me and stronger with every day, she thought, immediately dunking her face into the hot water. Thinking like that was dangerous. Those thoughts brought fear, and fear brought Hawkmoth. She stayed in the shower until all the worries were washed from her brain.

Toweling off, Marinette slipped on her softest sweats and shirt. Plodding out to her bed, she let her wet hair hang loose on her shoulders and back. She curled into a ball, pulling Tikki toward her ready to let sleep take over when she heard her cell phone beep on her desk. Grunting, Marinette pushed her face further into her pillow. It took everything in her not to curse when the phone began to ring.

Dragging her body off the bed, she slapped out at the phone. "Hello?" She winced, knowing that she should not have been rude. "I'm sorry," she ran a hand over her face, "hello?" she said in a much more Marinette voice.

"Ladybug," Master Fu spoke quietly but commanding into the phone. "I need to see you."

The moan almost escaped her mouth but she clamped a hand over it keeping it in. "Master Fu, I…"

"I know you are tired, but this is important." Master Fu's tone was laced with stress. "Thirty minutes."

Marinette heard the phone call end before she could respond. "I'm so sorry, Tikki," she whispered as she collected the sleeping kwami and slipped her into the pink purse. Slipping on her flats, she pulled her damp locks into the signature pigtails. Although it would take the full thirty minutes to walk to Master Fu's, she was not willing to wake Tikki. The little kwami had been so tired and Marinette didn't have the heart to force her mini best friend back into the miraculous. Her parents weren't home, so she left the house without an explanation beginning the walk toward Master Fu's loft.

* * *

Adrien heard the phone ring twice before he answered it, his eyes unable to focus on the screen. "Um, hello?" He cleared his throat trying to shake the sleep from his voice.

"Cat Noir," Master Fu sounded irritated and Adrien winced. He hated when he disappointed people. "I need to see you, this is important."

Adrien wanted to argue, but he couldn't muster up the strength. "Yes, sir." Adrien reached for a pair of socks putting them on his feet.

"Forty-five minutes." Master Fu hung up the phone without another word.

Plagg opened one eye and peered at Adrien. "You're walking kid, because I am not up for transforming right now."

Again, Adrien wanted to argue but simply didn't have it in him. "Ok, can you get into your pocket, or do I need to pick you up?" He tied his shoelaces while waiting for an answer.

"Pick me up," Plagg dramatically raised his tiny black arms into the air. Adrien shook his head and lifted his kwami into his pocket. Feeling like he was weighted to the floor, he began the long walk to Master Fu's apartment.

* * *

Wayzz floated next to Master Fu with a disapproving look on his face. "No opinions," Master Fu snapped looking older and more tired than he had in years.

"So, they are going to show up together and then the plan is?" Wayzz sat on his master's shoulders, touching his face lightly. They had been partners longer than most and their relationship provided comfort to both kwami and master.

"Casually expose their identities and then discuss the next steps." Master Fu looked at Wayzz as he floated in front of his face. "What?" He was now sporting an amused smile.

"This is going to go well." Wayzz was as sarcastic as he had ever been. "Really well." He shook his head as the doorbell rang.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Notes: _Spoilers!_ If you are following this story and did not want information that was released at New York Comic Con - stop right now! If you choose to go on, know that there are two spoilers in this storyline. **

**I have always thought of Master Fu as a cheeky character, someone that would have found humor in the crazy love square that LB/CN and Marinette/Adrien had found themselves in. I like the idea of the kwamis having their own relationships, and you'll hopefully see this reappear as this story builds. A lot of the reveal stories have to do with one or another character getting hurt or accidentally revealing themselves. I liked the idea of the reveal almost being a comical event, and played with the idea here. You'll still feel the love, I promise!**

 **Also, I was really upset with the idea of Chloe having a miraculous and in some way needed to get myself okay with the idea. Let me know how you feel about it after you read this!**

 **Don't own them, but love them!**

* * *

Every step Marinette took brought her closer to the brink of collapsing in complete and utter physical shut down. She was tired when she had laid down in her bed, but now her body was at its absolute max as she finally reached the door of Master Fu's loft. Forgetting in her sleepy haze that she had already rang the doorbell, she lifted a hand to knock, the door opened and Marinette promptly knocked on Master Fu's forehead. She jumped slightly feeling her brain kick start. "Master Fu, sir," Marinette stammered following him into the loft as he rubbed his head, "I'm so sorry!"

"It is not a problem," Master Fu waved a hand into the training room, "merely an unfortunate error in timing. Is Tikki with you?" Wayzz appeared floating next to his partner's head smiling anxiously.

Marinette opened her purse, carefully lifting the snoozing kwami, again cradling her little red partner to her chest. "She's very tired, although I did get her to eat." She angled Tikki's face to Wayzz when he floated closer. She didn't want to disturb her friend, but Wayzz was obviously concerned and Marinette wasn't going to deny him the opportunity to check on Tikki.

Master Fu gently removed Tikki from Marinette's arms and placed her tiny body on a pillow. It was so soft and billowy it appeared as if her tiny body was being wrapped in a cloud. Moving the entire bundle to a nearby table, Master Fu paused. Covering his mouth he began to cough, not loud enough to wake Tikki, but loud enough to catch Marinette's concern.

"Can I get you some water?" Marinette patted his back, slowly processing how much shorter he appeared. "Or something else?"

Speaking through his cough, Master Fu hissed out, "water would be good." Waving her away from him with his available hand, he watched her disappear around the corner. When Marinette was safely out of the training room and seemingly in the kitchen, the older man straightened himself with no sign of a cough. Wayzz rolled his eyes, but remained in his place perched next to Tikki's sleeping form still worriedly glancing at her every few seconds.

Adrien arrived at Master Fu's loft forty three minutes after receiving the phone call requesting his presence. Plagg was still snoring inside of his jacket pocket making Adrien glad that the streets had been mostly empty during his walk. It would have been a mixture of amusing and annoying to handle the odd stares at the sounds emitting from his jacket. As he stepped onto the welcome mat, which always made him smile with its simple "all-knowing" message imprinted on it, the door swung open. "Come in," Master Fu whispered. Adrien raised an eyebrow at the man's departing back, but followed him anyway into the training room.

Marinette returned from the kitchen as Master Fu entered the room from the other side. She stopped short, almost dropping the glass of water in her hand when she saw Adrien dragging into the room behind the older gentleman.

"Ah, good, thank you," Master Fu plucked the water glass from Marinette's hands, "I believe you two know each other?" He looked back and forth between the two teenagers, amused by the strangled looks on their faces.

"Uh, hi, Mari-" Adrien had regained his sense of speech first, but was abruptly cut off by Master Fu.

"Cat Noir, do you have Plagg with you?" It took every ounce of control that Master Fu possessed not to laugh out loud at the strangled expression on Marinette's face. Lifting an idle hand in her direction, he continued to address Adrien, "Ladybug's kwami, Tikki, is already asleep on the healing bed." When Adrien's jaw fell open, Master Fu allowed a small chuckle to escape. "If you have Plagg, please remove him from your jacket, Cat Noir." Master Fu's shoulders were vibrating as he barely contained his laughter watching the confusion flying between his heroes.

Without taking his eyes off of Marinette, who was consequently looking anywhere but at him, Adrien gently removed Plagg from his pocket, placing him on the white pillow offered by Master Fu. _Ladybug was Marinette._ _Marinette was Ladybug._ That was pretty darn convenient from his point of view. Now if she would look him in the eye. Her avoidance of his gaze made the anxiety rise in him like one of the Bubbler's bubbles.

Marinette couldn't look at him, because she knew there would be disappointment in his eyes. It was a moment of clarity to see both of the men she had been harboring conflicting feelings for standing in front of her as the same person. She felt the relief spread through her physically and emotionally, like her brain had instantly reconciled a thousand questions at once. There was also a strong sense of stupidity banging around with said relief. _I mean, honestly_ , she scolded herself, _how could I possibly have not known?_ Shaking her head, she finally chanced a look in his direction, startled to see him staring back at her. The blush was uncontrollable on her cheeks, coming in spite of the newfound comfort she felt as she surveyed her partner in his place on the opposite side of the room.

Master Fu quietly watched as the two teenagers battled out their sudden realizations, the wiser part of him hoping it was going to be a quick adjustment period, while the fanboy part of him wanted to see how long their adorable awkwardness would last. He had picked them for a reason and there was a part of him that would be sad to see the love square disappear, as he had watched them closely since the first day, always rooting for them to figure this all out on their own. The guardian part of him was looking forward to seeing what they could do when they finally became the complete partners they were destined to be. To that end, he rocked back on his heels and announced, "you two are meant to be together, as partners in all aspects of life." His chuckle was much louder at the red faces and shuffling feet that took over his chosen heroes. "Now hopefully you will work toward the other half of your partnership, as it will make your bond stronger and improve your ability to fight as a cohesive unit." When it appeared that neither Marinette nor Adrien was ready to speak, Master Fu continued. "We need to discuss expanding your team." He turned his back on the teens, giving them a chance to stare at one another without his watchful eye. Removing the ornamental box from its hiding place, Master Fu shuffled to the small table in the corner, nodding his head as a request to follow him. Placing the box gently onto the middle of the tiled surface, he began to fiddle with the sides.

The intricate symbols adorning the unique shape made Marinette's artist eye perk up. Momentarily forgetting that she should be feeling awkward, she came to stand directly next to Adrien leaning down to peer at the compartments as Master Fu slowly revealed them. She recognized some of the symbols she was seeing from the book she had delivered to Master Fu six months prior. "Are these what I think they are?" Marinette trailed a finger on the edge of the polished wood, her arm brushing Adrien's as she did. Everything in her felt the light touch and Master Fu's words danced in her ears as she forced herself not to pull away.

"Miraculouses," Adrien whispered through clenched teeth. He had also felt the fire when Marinette had touched him, and was fighting the urge to grab her and told her tight. Master Fu's words were loudly ringing in his ears, but now he didn't know how to approach it as Adrien. Cat Noir would have handled the situation without a problem; Adrien, however, was a disaster with all emotional requirements.

"Is it all of them?" She would have to worry about her heart later, seeing all of the miraculouses in one place was overwhelming enough for the moment.

"No," Master Fu shook his head knowing she would realize her mistake even if he didn't explain it. "Hawkmoth has his own, known as Nooroo, and the only other one missing from its place is the peacock." Master Fu refused to meet their eyes as he continued, dropping his voice so the kwamis couldn't hear, "she has been missing for quite some time. None of them have felt her presence for years." He straightened his back up, raising his voice again, since Wayzz knew him well enough to read his body language if he wasn't careful. "This is what I wanted to talk to you both about. _Expanding the team_."

"We don't need anyone else," they spoke in unison, glancing at each other in mutual recognition of their blush and their blunder. Teenage arrogance clouded the hard truths that they both had individually acknowledged.

"You do," Master Fu chided them. "Hawkmoth is becoming more aggressive and based on his patterns it seems that he may be narrowing down his search for both of you." He fiddled with the box, both teens too stunned by the confirmation of their combined worst fears to argue anymore. "There are seven miraculouses in all. Between the three of us, we represent three. Hawkmoth and Peacock make five." Lifting two objects out of the box, Master Fu hesistated. "The last two are here. Two of which I believe are perfect matches for people already in your lives."

Squinting, Marinette saw a familiar necklace laid out on Master Fu's palm. "So Volpina is real?" She heard the sound Adrien made, and didn't resist the urge to elbow him. Their experience with the akumatized version of Volpina had not shown off her best side. However, it was the experience that had made her realize the change in her feelings toward her hero partner. She spared another glance in his direction, letting her eyes linger on him for a minute longer than they had since she had discovered him walking into the training room.

"Volpina is indeed real," Master Fu watched his trainees, smiling again to himself, "and the person who carries this miraculous needs to be cunning and self-assured, but loyal. Quick mind, ready for action at a moment's notice. And completely fearless."

"Alya," they said together, matching ear-to-ear grins plastered on their faces. Not only was she all of those qualities and more, but she would absolutely love being a part of their team. Although, they would have to convince her to cool it with the blog.

Marinette felt a hesitation settle around her heart. Alya was absolutely the best person to take on the role of Volpina, but the chance of her best friend being hurt was making her nerves jump.

"I agree," Master Fu said noting the surprise of the other two and the worry in Marinette's eyes. "This is your team and the people picked need to fit with you for it to be a success. There will be some growing pains, but you'll work through it. That's also why it was important for you two to know who you are working with and be completely solid with each other. It will be your choice how you handle the identities of the newest members of your team."

Throwing out caution, Adrien threw a Cat Noir like arm over Marinette's shoulder. For her part, Marinette did not faint or squeal, opting to smile down at the items in front of her instead. "And the other miraculous?" Adrien couldn't help grinning. He had made a quasi-first move and neither of them had died. It had to be a good sign.

Lifting the second object, a hair comb, Master Fu examined it, "Queen Bee fits the name. Self-preserving, demanding, and at times self-absorbed. She believes she is the center, which keeps the team pulled to her." Marinette groaned while Master Fu continued, "the two of you throw yourselves around like cheap hackey sacks. It is time to add someone to the mix who will check your impulses to go running straight into the middle of an attack. The Queen Bee emphasizes strategizing and teamwork, she must be calculating in everything she does."

Raising an eyebrow at Marinette as her groan grew even louder and she covered her face in her hands, Adrien felt perplexed by her sudden change in mood. "What is it, m'lady?" It felt strange but perfect to use Ladybug's nickname for Marinette.

From beneath her hands, Marinette groaned again. "Think about it, Adrien," she shook her head as she talked, "calculating, emphasizes strategy, demanding, self-absorbed." She lift her head to look him in the eye, "that sounds like exactly one person we know."

"Ugh," Adrien felt like he was being punched in the stomach, "Chloe."

Slowly nodding her head, Marinette registered a presence next to her cheek and reached a hand up to rub Tikki's head as she joined the group. "Chloe?!" Tikki squeaked, "I don't think that's a good idea."

It crossed Marinette's mind that Tikki hadn't batted an eye when the red kwami had seen Adrien standing in the loft. Tabling that discussion for later, she pushed on, "she fits all of the qualities, almost to the point of being scary."

"But, Marinette!" Tikki switched sides and frantically nodded toward Adrien, "don't you think that will mess up the group dynamic?" Tikki's little head was glancing back and forth between Wayzz and Master Fu, neither of which appeared to want to help her. "What about…" Tikki trailed off but glanced at Adrien conveying exactly what she was thinking.

"She won't mess with the group dynamic, as long as we can stand having her in the group," Adrien wasn't sure that he could, but she was his oldest friend and he wasn't going to openly speak poorly about her to other people.

"But she is in love with you!" Tikki was more exasperated than Marinette was in the moment.

"Doesn't matter, because I'm in love with…" he kissed the top of Marinette's head, realizing within a second that he shouldn't have. "I mean," he blushed while he stuttered. Cat Noir was used to being bold, that is whenever Ladybug would let him, but Adrien was far beyond the reach of his comfort zone.

Tikki and Marinette stared at each other with wide eyes, a secret conversation flashing between them that had been perfected throughout their time together. Cat Noir was in love with Ladybug, this part Marinette knew, but the words coming out of Adrien's perfect mouth toward her as Marinette has her brain ready to explode.

"Ahem," Plagg cleared his throat as he landed on Adrien's head. "So this is new, huh?" He looked intently from Adrien's outstretched arm, to where Adrien's hand was resting on Marinette's shoulder. "How awkward was it?"

"Plagg!" Tikki and Wayzz shouted in unison. Tikki slapped a tiny hand to her forehead, "you always make things even more awkward, you ridiculous cat!"

A giggle bubbled out of Marinette. Tikki sounded so much like her when she scolded Cat Noir, it was almost like hearing her voice escaping the tiny kwami's body. In that moment, she realized that in the same way she was partners with Tikki and Cat Noir, Tikki had been partners with Plagg and for a far longer time. Noting the tiny black kwami's wicked eye roll, Marinette vowed to find the biggest sweetest cookie for Tikki as soon as they arrived home. Anyone dealing with the source of Cat Noir's sass for centuries deserved to be spoiled.

"I'm stating the obvious, Tikki," Plagg crossed his legs and leaned back into Adrien's hair. "These two cheese heads were so blind for so long. I wish I had been awake for the calamity of their reveal."

It was Master Fu's turn to clear his throat. "Plagg, do you think you could quiet down for a moment?" He chuckled again when Plagg huffed and floated away to his pillow again, Tikki floating behind him chastising the cat kwami as they went. Wayzz shrugged as if to say "well, I guess I'll play referee" and headed after his counterparts. It had been the first time in a very long time that Master Fu had seen a Ladybug and Cat Noir bring out the complete personalities of their kwamis. It was obvious to him, even if not to anyone else that the bond between his chosen ones had already improved the lives of their kwamis letting them be freer than they had ever been. "I know, children, that this is a lot to take in for one night," Master Fu placed the miraculouses back into their positions in the box, carrying it back through the room. "For now, I want you to spend some time together, here or wherever you feel the most comfortable, and talk all of this out, the two of you alone." He turned to see them standing inches away from each other, studying each other's faces. "In the end, you are still the ying and the yang, the center and driving force behind the mirsculouses. As long as your relationship remains balanced, the scale of good and evil will always be tipped in our favor." He sighed knowing they were only partially listening to him and that he would have to repeat himself the following day. "No matter where you choose to be tonight, please return tomorrow at 10AM." He saw them both nod slightly and then ducked from the room, leaving them to make their own decisions.

"So, uh, whereto, Mari- I mean, Ladybug, I mean," Adrien scratched the back of his head, "m'lady, any place in mind?"

"My house," Marinette responded without hesitation. She had heard his stomach grumble multiple times, realizing she was also starving. Knowing that he wouldn't have let Plagg go without eating, she smiled with the knowledge that they had both put their kwamis first, despite their personal fatigue.

Plagg returned to Adrien's hair, bouncing with excitement. "Marinette's house has the best cheese! Let's take the fast way!" Without being called, Plagg jumped into Adrien's ring beginning his transformation.

When he stood before her as Cat Noir, Marinette paused to study him. "I'm really an idiot, you know?" she laughed at his confused look. "How could I have missed this the whole time?" Smiling back at Tikki, she nodded and then called for her transformation.

"Wow, that's bright," Cat Noir's sensitive eyes winced with the light from her transformation, "and kind of pink." He took her hand pulling her toward the window. Smiling down at her through his Cat Noir bravado, he pulled her closer in a hug. "I could get used to this."

"Silly kitty," Ladybug patted her partner's back without disagreeing with his sentiment. Giggling at his rumbling stomach, she pulled away climbing out of the window. "Come on, alley cat, let's feed the beast." Letting his laughter echo behind her, she set off across the rooftops heading for the safety and comfort of her own balcony.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi all! Sorry for the delay on the new chapter. I got caught up writing a later part of this story (that I am very excited about) and had to reign myself in to write the connecting chapters.**

 **This is a quiet chapter, but an important one, as the heroes get used to their realizations and the potential changes.**

 **The creepy man in the beginning? Yeah, he comes back and he is important! (That's all I'm saying!)**

 **Hope you enjoy and I would love to hear what you think! And as always, I don't own them but I'll happily play in their universe for a while :).**

* * *

She landed easily on her balcony, not worried about the noise as her parents would surely be gone for the majority of the evening. Peering down at the darkened bakery, she noticed a slender figure slinking around the front entry doors. Without looking, she montioned to Cat Noir as he landed next to her. She climbed onto the railing off the balcony, easing herself onto the roof. Cat Noir silently followed without snide comment, his ears pricking back and forth trying to analyze the street-level stranger.

It appeared to be a man, although his face was hidden. Despite the slightly slouched posture, his movements were elegant. The duo watched as the stranger moved from window to window peering in each for a few seconds at a time. Cat Noir used every sense at his disposal to analyze the man, an uneasy feeling growing in his stomach with every passing second. Instinctively, almost as if he was protecting her, Cat Noir slid an arm around Ladybug's waist. She didn't shift or move to push him away, instead leaning further over the roof with the security of his tight grasp holding her waist. There was a simplicity to their movements, but it revealed a deeper trust than either of them noticed.

A few minutes passed as they watched the mystery man prowl around the front of the store. Ladybug's breath caught when she saw him attempt to turn the doorknob and yank on the door, internally grateful that in her sleepy state she had managed to lock the door. Turning on his heel, the man left without ever facing the two people observing him from the roof. Climbing back onto the balcony, Cat Noir reached up to offer his hand to Ladybug, pulling her into him as her feet hit the ground.

"We should go after him," Ladybug whispered into his chest, not really convincing anyone with her lackluster tone.

Cat Noir let his hand run over the back of her head. "Not tonight," he smiled when she looked up at him, "I'm so tired, you are _so_ tired, and chances are it was someone who wanted to buy an amazing sweet from your father." He took a chance at running a gloved finger across her cheek. "Our minds are probably on overdrive from all the new information tonight." His stomach growled loudly causing both of them to jump.

Ladybug reluctantly pulled out of his arms and opened the door to her room. "We also both need to eat." She stepped inside, happy to remember that she had cleaned her room when her parents had asked her to earlier in the day. "Do you want to transform first so that my transformation doesn't hurt your eyes?"

"Yes," he said almost immediately. His sensitive cat eyes couldn't endure the bright flash for a second time in such a short period. "Expect Plagg to demand food as soon as he is released. He is a bit of an unsavory character when he is hungry."

Ladybug was laughing when Adrien appeared in front of her, Plagg floating next him. "Unsavory character?! You're rude!" Plagg crossed his arms and pouted away from Adrien.

Transforming, and not missing the look of shock and awe on Adrien's face as she did, Marinette returned to her laughter as Tikki flew out of her miraculous, already scolding Plagg. "You are unsavory! And a glutton!" Her tiny kwami giggles filled the bedroom when Plagg flung a hair tie at his tiny red friend. The level of comfort between the kwamis increased Marinette's level of comfort, even standing in her bedroom with the longest crush of her young life. She had never really paused to consider the level at which the kwamis' personalities affected their masters, but the thought was gaining momentum in her mind. It was more than the way Tikki guided her giving her advice when she was at her most inconsolable; Marinette was only beginning to understand that Tikki's way of being was influencing Marinette's growth as a person. Her appreciation only grew for her tiny red partner as she watched Tikki throw random small objects in the direction of Adrien's slightly less enduring buddy, their playful relationship striking a chord of familiarity for Marinette.

"Sooooo," Plagg materialized in front of Marinette's face bringing her giggles to a matching level with Tikki's, "cheese, then?"

"Come on you silly kwami," Marinette purred, cuddling Plagg to her cheek, "you can choose anything you want."

Plagg let Marinette cuddle him, making room in her arms for Tikki as she joined him. "Adrien," Plagg quipped, "why don't you smell good like Marinette? Or cuddle like her? I'm getting the short end of the stick." Plagg pouted as he snuggled close to Marinette's heart and into Tikki's side.

"I don't know, Plagg," Adrien trailed the trio, lopsided smile gracing his face as he watched Marinette love on his kwami, "maybe because you make me carry stinky camembert all the time."

"Sure, blame the innocent, sweet kwami," Plagg murmured, being lured back to sleep by the gentle heartbeat against his ear.

Adrien chuckled as they entered the kitchen, realizing even without Marinette's parents in the house, their warmth and love could still be felt there. The kitchen still smelled like the remnants of the love-filled meals that were prepared in it each day. Sighing, Adrien stood quietly taking in all the feelings that were missing from his own home.

Placing Tikki and Plagg on Tikki's pillow on the counter, Marinette set out to create a plate of cheese for Plagg and sweet cookies for Tikki. She could sense Adrien's sorrow, even though she wasn't looking at him, in the same way she could sense his presence on the balcony without seeing him. It was if the big reveal, which hadn't been as big of a deal after all, had lifted a cloud from her mind, allowing her to see and feel her partner in a new way. Setting down the food in front of the kwamis, her giggles returned as Plagg visibly drooled over his food options. "That's it," he announced, "we're moving in!" He began shoving cheese in his face as the humans laughed and Tikki rolled her eyes.

Marinette returned to the shelves pulling down plates for herself and Adrien. She liked seeing the kwamis together, their relationship so closely resembled hers and Cat Noir's that it had her shaking her head. Thoughts about how long they had been partners, and their feelings about moving from human partners to new human partners began to flick through her mind. There were so many questions piling in her brain that sooner or later she was going to need answers before they overflowed from her ears.

Adrien watched as Marinette absent-mindedly stacked food on her plates, heating each item in turn and then adding it to the stack she was building. He wondered if her mind was racing as fast as his was. His body was still desperate for sleep, but his mind felt as if it would never quiet again. The one subject he no longer had questions about was her. It was amazing how instantaneously his heart had accepted that both of the best women in his life were, in fact, the same woman. His brain hadn't even bothered to fight it, after the initial shock. It had been as if part of him had always known and the nagging feeling had disappeared entirely. Master Fu had said they were meant to be, and every part of him agreed with that sentiment. Adrien was hopeful that Marinette felt the same way.

Turning with one large plate of food, eyes wide at the mound of various savory and sweet dishes she had assembled on their plates, Marinette smiled sheepishly at Adrien. "I may have overdone it a bit." She slid the plate in front of him, laughing when his eyes went equally as wide.

"I'm going to eat of all this," he stated matter-of-factly, licking his lips. Never looking up from his plate, he began to shovel food in, pausing only to sip the water that Marinette placed in front of him.

In total shock for the second time of the night, Marinette watched as Adrien's form lost all appearance of the model he was. Shoulders slumped, food flying from the plate to his mouth, Adrien appeared like a normal teenage boy who hadn't eaten in hours. Marinette found she liked Adrien better this way, without the false façade clouding his age appropriate behavior. Picking up her own plate, she slipped quietly into the seat next to him. Glancing at the kwamis who were still digging into their own piles of treats and talking a mile a minute, she was astonished at how normal the situation felt. _Normally_ , she would have been a catastrophic mess sitting this close to Adrien, but now she felt peace and comfort, like she belonged right where she was. She would have been lying to herself if she said the new feelings weren't equally parts disarming and incredible.

"So good," Adrien mumbled shoving more food into his mouth. He heard Marinette's faint chuckle and smiled in spite of himself. He had realized thirty seconds into his gorging that he was acting out of his pre-established character, but he didn't care. It was a rush and relief to feel relaxed around someone, especially someone he cared so deeply for. Pausing to chew, he watched their kwamis laughing, eating and lounging on the pillow Marinette kept on the counter. It was obvious that they had known each other for a long time, and the way they joked and teased each other seemed very familiar to him. He narrowed his eyes trying to place the similarity.

Almost as if she was reading his mind, Marinette waved her fork in the direction of the kwamis, "they are a lot like us, huh?" She didn't look up from her plate to see the realization cross his face.

"You're right." Adrien let the thought sink in as he shoveled more food into his mouth. The easy affection of Plagg towards Tikki, the playful annoyance Tikki was expressing, but mostly the relationship that screamed "partner" was exactly like him and Ladybug. The thought made him grin.

After her initial desire to stuff as much food into her body had surpassed, Marinette flicked her fork around her plate, new thoughts beginning to settle in her mind took over. "What if one of us becomes akumatized?" Again, she missed the look on Adrien's face as she had not bothered to look up from her plate when she spoke.

"That can't happen," Adrien swallowed, finding it harder than it had been prior to her question, "I mean, don't our miraculouses protect us from that?"

"I don't know really," Marinette furrowed her eyebrows together, "I guess we should ask Master Fu. For now, we should avoid negative emotions though, to stay safe. Now that we know each other's identities, I'm sure Hawkmoth would use that against us if he got the chance at one of us."

Adrien felt that worry sink passed his mind and into his heart. He would do everything possible not to have negative emotions. If he was akumatized he would throw himself into the nearest river to avoid hurting Marinette. "Speaking of identities, what are we going to do about the newbies?" He still wasn't 100% sold on the idea of new teammates.

"I don't know about that either," Marinette huffed causing her bangs to float off of her forehead. "In one way this was the best night ever, in others it has brought so much confusion to the table." She blushed realizing he was going to ask her to clarify.

Watching the blush rise on her cheeks made him feel giddy. "Why was it one of the best nights?" He glanced at the kwamis, who had snuggled together in the pillow and had seemingly fallen back to sleep. They looked like a perfect ying yang of red and black. _Meant to be._ Master Fu's words were back in his ears and he stared intently at Marinette waiting for her answer.

"I mean, you know," she waved her fork awkwardly, stammering her sentence, "finding out that Cat Noir is, I mean that you are, you know…" she trailed off meeting his eyes. She wasn't Marinette awkward now, but she found herself unable to identify the feelings she was having. _Madly in love_ , whispered a voice in her head sounding remarkably like Tikki, who was now sleeping curled up with Plagg. Their red and black ying yang made Marinette smile.

"I was happy it was you," Adrien blurted the words out, hearing how uncontrolled they sounded and finding once again that he simply didn't care, "I like all of you, and it was satisfying to know I wasn't crazy for falling for two people." He stared hard at his plate as if the crumbs he left behind would bail him out of weight of the emotional reveal he had thrown into the room without caution.

Marinette choked. Patting her chest, she grabbed her water, drinking quick gulps. She felt his hand rubbing her back and immediately choked on her water. At least part of her was still very, _very_ awkward. "You liked me?" she squeaked, instantly regretting speaking.

"Yeah, I did," he continued to rub her back liking the fact that she wasn't brushing him away, "I mean, I do." Marinette usually jumped when he touched her and Ladybug had only recently begun to be more casual about physical contact. The fact that he was sitting there, freely touching her without any jumping or shoving was making him feel like dancing and singing out of pure joy.

Playing with her fingers, Marinette tried to gather her words. "I like you, too," she knew he was grinning in a Cat Noir way without looking at him, "both of you." She felt his hand falter in its smooth circles, finally causing her to look at him. "What?" The cheesy grin on his face was more than Adrien and Cat Noir combined.

"Meant to be, right?" Adrien placed his hand on her shoulder, smiling brightly until she couldn't help but return the smile. "So, what now?"

"Well," Marinette fidgeted in her seat, "we need to recruit Alya and Queen Bee, right?" She snuck a glance at his face, bursting into laughter when she saw the famous Cat Noir pout. Falling off her seat, she rolled on the floor, a mixture of exhaustion and relief creating an insane level of amusement over his frustration. She had been frustrated with Adrien so many times over his obliviousness, it was absolutely wonderful to be the one making him feel frustrated in that moment.

Seconds after she began her overly-tired laughing fest which led her to the floor, Adrien realized she was teasing him. Crouching like the cat he was, he pounced on her, tickling her sides and making her laughter louder. When she cried for him to stop through hysterical wheezes, he stretched on the ground, pulling her on to his chest. He put an arm behind his head listening to her laughter calm as she snuggled against him. Neither of them realized that they had fit themselves into the same position their kwamis were in on the counter.

"So, is Cat Noir more who you really are? Or is that all Plagg?" Marinette flicked at his button, seeing the loose thread and vowing to remember to offer to fix it. Her nerves had settled quickly, adjusting to the new level of contact being initiated between them. If this had been a year ago, or even six months, she would have been a jumbled mess in this situation. Thinking of Tikki, she reminded herself to thank her kwami partner for putting up with and getting her through the most ridiculous of Marinette's behaviors.

"Some of both, I guess," he idly lifted her hair and let it drop. It was remarkable how fast their walls began to crumble when Master Fu had revealed them. Knowing someone, beside the older man and the annoying tiny cat, who knew all of him brought him an indescribable sense of relief. Now all he wanted to do was tell her everything, in a way he had never let himself tell anyone before. "When I'm me I have to be everything my father wants, the perfect son presented to the world on a platter." Adrien winced, "sorry that sounds bitter."

Lifting her head to look at him, she moved the hair off of his forehead. How strange it was that they went from partners who completely trusted each other, and school friends who were awkward as often as they were comfortable, to lying on her living room floor cuddling up together entirely in sync. It should be a lot weirder than it was, but somehow, she felt an overwhelming sense of _right_. She put her hand on his chest, chin on top of it. "Everyone puts a chosen face forward, it doesn't make you, or your dad, bad people. I'm sure he doesn't mean anything by it, it is the way he believes his son should behave, right or wrong. It doesn't mean he doesn't love you."

Adrien stayed focused on the ceiling letting her words roll around in his mind. Somehow they felt right, but also missing something. Whatever the detail was, it had been missing for a long time. "What about you?" he said, changing the subject, "Marinette is Marinette or Ladybug?"

Fiddling with his buttons again, Marinette pursed her lips. "I'm not really sure," she liked the feeling of his hands in her hair and sighed softly, "both, maybe. I'm definitely awkward, but as Ladybug all the confidence I feel can come out. For some reason, I can't get it to the surface when I'm myself." Her tired head was beginning to hurt from the efforts of deciphering and talking about both parts of herself. This had been the first time, since Tikki and Master Fu, that someone else knew all of her. It was overwhelming in the very least.

Yawning loudly, Adrien pulled Marinette closer to him as she laid her cheek back on his chest. "Sounds like we both have some thoughts to work through," his eyes felt heavy with the warmth of her body soothing him, "maybe later? After a nap?"

"We probably shouldn't fall asleep here," Marinette yawned, her eyes already closing. "Hm, maybe a few minutes wouldn't hurt." She yawned again, tucking her hand onto his chest under his button down shirt and over his t-shirt. Her body fell into a deep sleep, slumping further into his.

In that moment, he was completely relaxed in a way he couldn't remember feeling since he was a child. His breathing slowly matched hers and he quickly joined her in slumber, uncaring about the strange location on the floor.

From the edge of the counter, Tikki and Plagg watched their partners sleep. "They are so cute!" Tikki squealed quietly.

Next to her, Plagg made puking noises. "Ugh, I can't handle more lovey dovey Ladybugs and Cat Noirs. I thought they were going to be clueless forever!" Plagg grimaced at Tikki when she pushed him.

"You know that's not how it works, Plagg," Tikki propped her elbows on the edge of the counter smiling wistfully at the sleeping teenagers. "I'm glad they finally know, it will be easier now."

"They are teenagers! _Nothing_ is going to be easy!" Plagg floated away, stuffing the last of the cheese from his plate into his mouth. "Help me with these plates, okay?" He lifted one edge of his plate, waiting for Tikki to grab the other side. Together they quietly rinsed the four plates and placed them in the drying rack.

"We should wake them," Tikki whispered, floating above her sleeping friend, "Marinette's parents won't be very happy if they find them here."

Plagg looked down at his blond haired partner with a devilish grin, "nah, it'll be funny if they get caught!" Plagg stuck his tongue out at Tikki when she moved next to him to shove him.

"We need to be out of sight at least," Tikki didn't want to disturb them quite yet, and Marinette's parents did say in their note that they would be out all night. Flying to look at the clock, Tikki realized it was merely 9PM, coming to terms with her own exhaustion. "Let's go upstairs. I'll set Marinette's alarm and we'll come back down later and get them. They are so wiped out after all." With a glance over her shoulder, Tikki led Plagg upstairs to Marinette's room.

Curling up on the cat pillow, Plagg watched Tikki float through the room. If he was going to have to ensure another Ladybug and Cat Noir love story, especially a teenage sappy first love version, he was glad that Tikki would be suffering along side of him. _Although she would probably enjoy every minute of it_ , he snickered to himself. It was so nice to be with her, the past year and a half had been torture sensing how close she was, but never being able to reach her. Sure, he had caught peeks of her here and there, but this was the first real time they had spent together. He was hopeful that now that the teenage knuckleheads had been revealed by Master Fu that he was going to get a lot more quality time with his kwami partner. Cuddling into Tikki as she laid down on the pillow, Plagg smiled in spite of himself.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's notes: Sorry for the delay on this one, I was waiting for "Stan Lee" Comic Con to happen to make sure I didn't want to make any major adjustments to my plot line. I may still deviate, but I like this chapter as-is, so here we go! I hope you like it!**

 **Don't own them, doesn't stop me from loving them!**

* * *

"Marinette," Tikki whispered pushing on her human partner's cheek. "Marinette!" Tikki hissed louder finally getting a response from her friend.

Marinette groaned, opening one eye to see Tikki floating above her. "What time is it?" She couldn't bring herself to sit up, even though she knew she should. Glancing upward, she saw Adrien waking, Plagg doing some sort of tap dance on Adrien's forehead.

"It's two in the morning," Tikki looked around nervously, "your parents will be home soon!"

Sitting up, Marinette registered that they were still curled up on the living room floor. Not a position she would like to be found in by her parents, even though it was completely innocent in nature. At least, for the most part it was.

Brushing Plagg off his head, Adrien also sat up. "Plagg!" he scolded, "haven't you ever heard of waking someone up gently?" Adrien ran a hand through his hair causing parts of it to stick up.

"Yeah, I've heard of it," Plagg perched himself on Adrien's shoulder, "but where is the fun in that?" Soaring off of Adrien, Plagg scoffed as Adrien leaned toward Marinette.

Smiling softly, Adrien touched Marinette's face, "you have a button mark on your face." He touched her cheek softly as he had as Cat Noir a few hours early.

Feeling the heat building on her face, Marinette smiled back at him. "I hope it isn't the loose one," Marinette reached out and touched the buttons on the front of his shirt, "I'll fix that for you if you want me to."

They sat quietly for a moment, Adrien's fingers on Marinette's cheek and her fingers playing with his shirt buttons. Teenage anxieties were building back up, battling against all of the other positive emotions that were radiating between them. Adrien knew what he wanted to do, but the part of him who was a sixteen-year-old boy was more nervous than the confident superhero portion of his personality. He shifted toward Marinette, making clumsy decisions in his mind.

"Ahem," Plagg cleared his throat, chuckling quietly at the guilty look on Adrien's face. In Plagg's older mind, there was plenty of time for what Adrien was attempting to do, but there was not enough time to get out of Marinette's and home before both teens ended up in trouble. It would be very hard to continue to save Paris if Paris' superheroes were both grounded. "I'm digging this little love fest as much as the next kwami," Plagg nudged Tikki who had hearts dancing in her eyes, "but we need to go."

Sighing, Marinette stood, offering a hand to Adrien as she did. "Plagg is right."

"My three favorite words!" Plagg announced, although no one heard him as Marinette had inadvertently pulled Adrien directly into her as she had pulled him from the floor.

Her heart was slamming in her chest. She had stood this close to Cat Noir more times than her scrambled brain could count, but had only been this close to Adrien a handful of times. Even knowing they were the same person, some of the awkwardness she had hoped had vanished for good, settled back around her brain. "Um," Marinette mumbled, "you should probably leave from the balcony." She motioned toward the stairs with her hand, not moving.

 _This is my chance_ , Adrien thought bravely to himself, and for a second time in minutes went to lean toward Marinette. Voices outside of the door had them jumping apart and sprinting up the stairs to Marinette's room as the kwamis floated ahead of them. Regret settled in Adrien's mind as Marinette carefully closed her door leaving them standing in her dark room.

"You should go," Marinette whispered, "my parents will hang around downstairs for a bit, but eventually they will come up to check on me."

Tikki grabbed Plagg in a hug, letting a small laugh escape when Plagg gagged. "I'll see you tomorrow!" Releasing Plagg, Tikki curled up on her cat pillow and squeezed her eyes shut.

"Bye, Marinette!" Plagg called as Adrien shifted to call for his transformation, "bring cheese tomorrow!" Disappearing into the ring, he didn't hear Marinette's promise to do so.

Standing before Marinette as Cat Noir, Adrien felt all the confidence he lacked downstairs. "I know I need to go, but there is something I have been trying to do all night." Cat Noir took Marinette's hand and gently pulled her onto the balcony to the side that was out of sight of the doors. "I don't know if it means the same coming from the _fabulous_ Cat Noir, but I can't leave tonight with it hanging out there." He put one hand on Marinette's waist and let his other gloved hand rub her cheek.

Marinette swallowed hard. She had convinced herself during their run up the stairs that she was imagining or magnifying Adrien's intentions, but now they were standing in the moonlight and there was no way she could pretend she didn't know what was going on. Taking a deep breath, she looked up at him, feeling smaller and younger than she was.

"Here goes nothing," he whispered and then brought his lips to meet hers in a quiet, soft first kiss.

Although it lasted merely seconds, Marinette felt as if her whole body was leaving the balcony and floating away in happiness. Smiling at him from a few inches away from his face, Marinette kissed him again, reassuring herself that it was real. When she pulled away for a second time, laughter escaped her at the glowing grin spreading on his face.

"No wonder Nino kisses Alya so much!" Cat Noir declared. "I didn't know it felt like that." Forgetting his earlier shyness, forgetting that they were standing outdoors and he was currently Cat Noir, he wrapped his arms around Marinette and snuggled into her neck.

Smiling into his shoulder, Marinette realized that Cat Noir didn't remember their real first kiss, the one that had broken Dark Cupid's spell. Someday she would tell him that she had felt all the same things she felt now when she had kissed him then. Someday she would tell him that she had tried desperately to forget those feelings under the false allegiance to her feelings for the other half of him. Someday, but not today. "You better be going," Marinette pulled back to look at him knowing they were on borrowed time. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

Startling her, he grabbed her face and kissed her again. The feeling was verging on addictive. Finally pulling himself away from her, he grinned, hopping onto the edge of the balcony, "I will most certainly see you tomorrow, m'lady," with a salute he jumped off the balcony and soared over the rooftops toward home.

Watching him go, Marinette smiled, hugging herself with both of her arms. Life was about to get very complicated, but for the first time she couldn't wait to face all of those complications with her partner. Curling up on her bed, she threw her covers over Tikki. By the time her mother came to kiss her cheek, Marinette was asleep with a smile on her face.

* * *

Cat Noir flung himself recklessly over the rooftops attempting to work out all of the extra energy pumping through him following his rooftop kisses with Marinette. As he approached his room, he noted that the bathroom window he left cracked was still open. He let his happiness carry him through the window and into the spacious bathroom. It floated around him as he transformed and fell face first into his bed, carrying him into sweet dreams filled with his lady love.

* * *

Three stories above him and just to the south of the house, a dark figure stood peering out of a curved window. The anger and bitterness covered him like a blanket, weighing him down and not letting him see the world as it really was. Another night, another observation of watching Cat Noir crawl into a window that belonged to someone else and never leaving. Plans were in place to shatter the happiness and success of Paris' most famous heroes. It didn't matter who he hurt in his quest. If he couldn't find happiness, no one else was allowed to feel it either. Turning from the window, the shadowed man headed for another sleepless night alone in his misery.

* * *

 **Ending thoughts: Writing kisses is fun, but they are still young so I'm keeping it sweet :). Hope to have less of a delay on the next chapter!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Update finally!**

* * *

Adrien woke up with the same light-hearted feeling he had fallen into bed with, barely seven hours ago. Sitting up, stretching his arms over his head, he glanced at the clock. The red numbers blared into his eyes, causing him to throw the covers off his legs. "Plagg!" Adrien spun in his room looking for the kwami who was calmly perched on the couch. "We have to go!"

"You don't say?" Plagg casually popped a piece of smelly cheese into his mouth. "Maybe you should have stopped dreaming about Marinette and gotten up sooner. ARGHHH!" Cheese flew over the couch as Adrien snagged Plagg up and stuffed him in his coat.

"I was not dreaming about Marinette!" Adrien lied through gritted teeth as he raced down the stairs of the empty house and out of the front door, bag banging against his hip.

"HA!" Plagg pinched Adrien through his t-shirt. "You were talking in your sleep _alllll_ night!" Plagg poked his head as close to the opening of Adrien's jacket as he could without being seen. "Want to know what you said?" Fire flooded Adrien's cheeks causing Plagg to laugh harder. "You have it bad for the bug, kid!" Plagg settled back into his hiding place. "So what are you going to do about it?"

Adrien's brows furrowed. "What do you mean? I kissed her!"

Exasperated sighs escaped the interior of Adrien's jacket. "One kiss…"

"Three kisses!" Adrien interrupted.

Rolling his eyes, Plagg continued, "three kisses does not a relationship make." Peering up again, Plagg took pity on his deflated partner. "You need to take the girl on a date. A real one. And maybe kiss her as Adrien this time, you big scaredy cat."

His kwami could be annoying, but he had a point. Adrien couldn't show up at school on Monday and expect everyone, especially Nino and _especially_ Alya, to just accept that Marinette was his girlfriend. If she was his girlfriend. Was she his girlfriend? Plagg was right, one kiss, even three kisses, was not enough. Flipping open his phone he dialed his best friend.

"Dude!" Nino's voice came through the speaker. "Where ya been, man? I haven't talked to you since Thursday!"

"Uh," Adrien hesitated, hating every time he had to lie to Nino, "dad stuff, you know?"

"Yeah, that sucks," Nino accepted the excuse without question. "So what are you doing today?"

"That's what I'm calling you about." Adrien hesitated again, trying to recall how he felt prior to knowing Ladybug and Marinette were one in the same. "Are you busy tonight?" He pushed on before Nino could answer, "because I was thinking we could hit a movie, and you could bring Alya," he took a deep breath letting the important part whoosh out, "and she could bring Marinette, like a double date." The last portion trailed off slightly as the idea of an official date brought butterflies to his stomach.

"Shut the front door!" A distinctly female voice screamed in the background. Adrien winced, knowing he should have realized that Nino would be with Alya.

"Hi, Alya," Adrien said sheepishly, secretly loving how excited she sounded. Her excitement was making his butterflies perform a conga line in his stomach.

"I'm going to go with yes," Nino chuckled into the phone while trying to remove Alya's death grip from his arm. "Call you later to figure out a time. Gotta go! Alya you're going to rip my arm off!"

Adrien laughed as the call went dead. He walked the rest of the way to Master Fu's in giddy silence.

* * *

For once, Marinette was not absurdly late. In fact, her insane level of happiness had her up hours before she needed to be. She had packed snacks for all the kwamis in her gym bag, adding a variety of sushi and savory pies for Wayzz, who didn't share Tikki's tastes for sweets or Plagg's apparent need for cheese. Kissing both of her parents, she slipped out of the door.

She had been claiming to go to the gym for the last six months. If her parents ever asked to see a membership card, which they hadn't, she would have told them it was owned by Adrien's father so she didn't need one. A small piece of her happiness slipped away when she considered the lie, but she knew lying to them kept them safe.

"You're humming," Tikki observed from her place in Marinette's purse. "You were humming in your sleep too." Tikki's little voice was filled with love, not an ounce of judgment to be found.

Marinette grinned, not caring about the blush on her cheeks. "My face hurts from smiling so much!" She twirled with her arms outspread, gaining her curious stares from passersby. Quickly pulling her arms back in, Marinette smiled at the ground.

"I love this," Tikki chirped, sharing a grin equally as wide, "I have been waiting for you two to get it together!" The excitement coming from Tikki made Marinette feel like skipping. The morning seemed more beautiful, the sounds of people passing in the street were more cheerful, and Marinette felt like breaking out into song. The sound of her cell phone ringing from her pocket interrupted her happy musings.

"Hello?" Marinette's entire body jolted at the sound of Alya's screams. "Alya?! Are you okay?!" Marinette completely forgot all joy and was ready to jump straight into Ladybug-mode.

"Girl!" Alya was pacing around Nino's room as he watched her with interest and awe. "You will not believe what happened!"

Marinette rounded the corner, smiling to herself as she spied Adrien leaning against the wall of Master Fu's building obviously whispering to the kwami in his jacket. "What happened?" She was slightly distracted by how adorable Adrien looked with his bag slung over his shoulder and his hair hanging in his face.

"Adrien called Nino," Alya was flailing as she paced, "and asked about going to the movies."

"Oh, um, that's nice," Marinette's distraction increased when Adrien spotted her, face breaking into a heart-tingling smile.

"Marinette!" Alya stomped her foot in frustration, "listen to me! The phrase _double date_ was used, as in me and Nino, you and Adrien," huffing at her best friend's silence, Alya yelled into the phone, "and it was _Adrien's_ idea! Adrien wants to take you on a date!" A triumphant look took over Alya's face as she stood in Nino's room with one hand on her hip. She couldn't see that the boy in question was smiling down at Marinette at that exact moment.

"What did you tell him?!" Marinette brought the false squeak to her voice mimicking her formally erratic self, even though her real nerves were starting to dance under her skin.

"Yes! Of course! I'm not the neurotic one here!" Pacing again, catching the pillow that Nino tossed at her and immediately hitting him with it. Alya giggled when her adorable boyfriend pretended to collapse in pain. "I'll come over later and then we'll leave to meet them together, okay?"

"That sounds great, Alya! I'm so excited!" Marinette's declaration made Adrien's smile bigger and her heart was becoming deafening in her ears. At least she wouldn't have to lie about being nervous tonight. With a final squeal, Alya disconnected the call. Looking up at Adrien, Marinette waved her phone at him. "You broke Alya."

The laughter was instantaneous, a powerful reflection of all the giddiness he was trying to bottle up inside. "I thought a date was a good idea, was I wrong?" He stepped closer to Marinette, lacing his fingers in hers. His palms felt clammy as he began to lean forward.

"Love birds!" a voice called from above them. Both faces looked up to see Master Fu hanging out of a window, both reflecting the disappointment of the disruption. "You're late." He disappeared into his loft without another word.

"Um, shall we?" Marinette started towards the door, unsure whether to let go of Adrien's hand or not. She felt her heart soar when he tightened his grip.

"We didn't accomplish much in the way of talking last night," Adrien pondered as they stomped up the stairs.

"You did other things instead!" Plagg piped up, making both of the humans jump and flush. Obviously proud of himself, Plagg began making kissing noises inside of Adrien's jacket.

"Do you see what I have had to deal with all these years?" Tikki whispered from Marinette's purse.

"You love me!" sang Plagg's voice from his hiding place. All four of them were laughing again when the door to Master Fu's loft flung open.

"Come in!" Master Fu ordered them, brow lines appearing deep across his forehead. Their trainer's expression caused an instant shift in the mood and they dropped their joined hands as they followed him into the room.

While the older man was busy moving pads onto the floor with Adrien's assistance, Marinette set out the food she had brought for the kwamis. It was her hope that now that their identities were no longer a secret that their training sessions would allow for breaks, letting the kwamis take time out of the miraculouses to recharge so they wouldn't be so tired at the end. Feeling warmth and pressure on her cheek, Marinette raised an eyebrow at the black kwami who was currently squishing her face. "You brought cheese!" Plagg gushed. "Don't you want to be Cat Noir and Adrien can be Ladybug?"

"Not nice, Plagg," Adrien scoffed from across the room, shaking his head at his ridiculous kwami partner.

All three kwamis floated over the food table, eagerly analyzing the choices that Marinette had laid out. Marinette was in turn answering questions about each item that they couldn't identify. When Master Fu cleared his throat, she whirled around expecting to be reprimanded. Instead he waved her over, indicating silently with his hand for her to sit.

The three sat, legs bent underneath them in a small circle, the younger two waiting for the older man to speak. Clearing his throat again, Master Fu closed his eyes appearing to meditate. Adrien and Marinette exchanged puzzled glances, neither of them understanding what they should be doing. "Today," Master Fu started without opening his eyes, "you begin training without your miraculouses."

Marinette's quizzical look was replaced with one of pure fear. As Ladybug she was far more physically coordinated than she was as her everyday self. Ladybug never tripped down staircases or ran into lockers, but Marinette did both on a daily basis. The idea of fighting without the power of Tikki was terrifying for her.

Adrien on the other hand looked like a dog about to be given his favorite treat. It was awesome being Cat Noir, but more than once he had wished that he could fight on his own. He had excellent dueling skills after years of intense fencing training, but training in hand-to-hand combat was something his father had frowned upon. He was eager to learn to fight under his own strength and not the magical strength of Cat Noir.

"Of course, you'll have to train together," Master Fu snuck a hidden glance at Adrien and Marinette, weighing their reactions. Marinette looked intrigued and slightly sick, while Adrien looked alarmed. "Training does not mean hurting each other, Cat Noir."

His stomach settled at Master Fu's comment, knowing that he could never hurt Marinette for any reason. "So how do we start?" Adrien's eagerness returned at Master Fu's reassurance.

"Right now," Master Fu stood without warning, startling Marinette who fell backwards. "Perhaps we'll start with balance," he chuckled offering a hand to his favorite heroine.

On the other side of the room, the kwamis were indulging in the feast Marinette had supplied for them. They amused themselves watching Adrien and Marinette execute a series of training activities directed by a calm but amused Master Fu. "Food and no work? That's my kind of training!" Plagg sighed happily.

"How you are one of the most important of us is still beyond me," Wayzz stated examining the sushi in front of him. He shook his head when Plagg grumbled a response. "Do you like your new partner?"

Plagg pulled a face at Wayzz, "he isn't really new, we've been together for a year and a half."

"He means your newest Cat Noir," Tikki chimed in. She was worriedly watching Marinette balance on a board several feet off the ground, wincing every time her human partner wobbled. "I love Marinette, she is one of my favorites, if not my favorite, even if she is the youngest of the bunch." Her little arms reached out toward Marinette as if trying to steady the girl without touching her. "I hope that means we get to keep them for a long time."

Plagg was watching his red counter-part closely. He knew she was attached to Marinette, even before they were officially reunited he had clued in to Tikki's attachment. Tikki was always more attached than him to their human partners, but he thought for once they might be on the same page with their levels of affection. "Adrien acts like a dumb kid sometimes, but I guess I love him too. Don't tell him I said that though, the model doesn't need any more adoring fans."

Rolling her eyes, Tikki flew away from the other kwamis and to Marinette's side, handing her a towel. Wiping her forehead, Marinette kissed her kwami, "thanks Tikki, and thanks for the support even from over there." She waved a hand at the table. "I can feel you rooting for me, even when you are outside of the miraculous."

"This is a good idea, you know," Tikki rested on Marinette's shoulder. "If something ever happened and one of you had to fight without your miraculous, this gives you a higher chance of success."

Chewing her lip, Marinette considered Tikki's words. They had been training for over an hour and Marinette was feeling a mixture of hopeful and discouraged. Tikki was right though, per the usual, and the training really was a good idea. Jolting at the sound of her name, Marinette moved back onto the mat to join Adrien and Master Fu.

"That's enough for today," their trainer looked satisfied at their work. "What have you decided about the new members of the team?"

Sheepish looks shot between Adrien and Marinette, but Marinette thought fast on her feet. "I think," she looked at her partner and corrected herself with his nod, " _we_ think that Volpini should come first. We can introduce her ourselves, so she has a bit more guidance than we did at the start. She'll be more likely to trust us as our superhero selves if we do it this way."

Adrien nodded. In the moment of pressure his thoughts had been almost exactly the same, although he thought maybe Ladybug should introduce Alya on her own. He would discuss that with her later though.

Master Fu nodded, "tomorrow then. Tomorrow you will come for training and leave with the miraculous. Don't linger on it though." His pause made the room feel uneasy. "You will need a full team sooner than later I'm afraid."

She wanted to ask him to clarify but her cell phone blared from her bag. Leaning to retrieve it, Marinette noted Alya's face on her screen. Answering, she was prepared to tell Alya she needed to call her back, when she heard the fear in her friend's voice.

"Have you seen the news?" Alya whispered into the phone. "Akuma downtown. He's huge. Nino and I went to get something to eat and we're trapped in this café now. A waiter with a grudge is very, very scary."

Marinette turned to Adrien who was already waving Plagg to his side. "Be safe, Alya," Marinette said reassuringly into the phone as Tikki came to her side, "I'm sure Ladybug and Cat Noir will be there soon." She transformed as soon as the phone disconnected, watching as Cat Noir did the same.

"No rest for the weary, m'lady," Cat Noir swung his bow between his hands.

"Good luck," Master Fu placed a hand on each of his heroes' shoulders, "protect each other. Protect our Paris. Mostly... come back tomorrow in one piece."

Heading to the window, Cat Noir looked at Ladybug. "Wonder what this one is calling itself? Something creative like Maitre Doom? Or something lame like The Waiter?"

Ladybug smiled through her concerned thoughts. "I don't know but Alya says he's huge and she and Nino are trapped there."

"Let's go then," Cat Noir faced her as she was within inches of his body, "I have a purrfect first date to get ready for!"

Shaking her head she shoved him out of the window, ready to face yet another opponent.

Master Fu watched them go, the concern once again taking over this face. Wayzz peeked out of the window, witnessing the duo disappearing over the rooftops. "Their happiness will be an added level of protection." Turning to look at this own partner, Wayzz waited for his opinion.

"It will certainly protect them in some ways," Master Fu began to stack mats, "but now their hearts are open, and with relationships come complications."

Making an exasperated noise, Wayzz disappeared under the mat and pushed it from the bottom. "This is what you wanted! They know now, and it seems to have brought them closer together."

"You're right," Master Fu sounded completely unconvinced, "there is a lingering feeling that I cannot shake." Moving to the window, his face became mixture of worry and confusion. Wayzz left him standing at the window, understanding the feeling, but also unable to put it into words.


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry again for the delay! Life was hectic for a bit. I promise the next update won't take so long!**

 **The story is incorporating some of my take on the series, keeping as much canon as possible. I hope you are enjoying it so far, we are far from finished!**

 **Thank you to everyone who has read it!**

 **As always, love them, don't own them!**

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Their feet hit the gravel on the roof of the boutique across from the café causing it to scatter haphazardly in their wake. Despite the loose stone, they landed quietly looking poised and ready for action. Squatting down, the duo attempted to assess the situation.

"Is he still in there?" Cat Noir sounded unsure, glancing to his partner to see similar thoughts racing across her face.

"It's weird, right?" Ladybug was watching as furniture flew through the air inside of the café. Some sort of paper was swirling inside the walls of the small building as if it was caught in a stunted tornado. "They don't usually stay where they start, especially not recently."

"It's paw-cular," Cat Noir snickered at his own joke, "why is he staying in one place?" Scratching the back of his head, he put a hand on Ladybug's shoulder turning her to face him. "Why are we worried about it? Doesn't it make it easier to stop him?"

Ladybug had to shake her head to ramble away the intense desire to forget the akuma victim and kiss Cat Noir instead. The confused look on his face made her smile and she shook her head again. "Yes, you're right," but something didn't feel right in that statement, "but why? Why is he staying in one place?"

Both of them jumped as a table crashed through the front window of the café. Starring at them from the midst of broken glass was a very large, very angry, very colorful looking waiter. He was familiar to Ladybug, causing her to gasp, "that's Kim's brother, Wan!" Her stomach hurt. Another victim, another familiar face.

"I didn't know Kim had a brother." Even after almost two years of school he was still catching up on the details of his classmates' lives which was sometimes an advantage when dealing with people they knew. He was emotionally unattached to this victim, except for in the whole he-is-a-fellow-human kind of way. Ladybug looked worried enough for the both of them.

"His brother is four years older than us," the thoughts now crashing through her brain were in angry anxiety-filled waves, "he is even nicer than Kim if you can imagine it, and I can't even rationalize what could have caused him to become…. Well… That!" Ladybug flung an arm toward the café as another table crashed through the remaining glass window.

Cat Noir reached over her shoulders and pulled her into a hug. She was right, they needed to get in there, but he needed the reassurance before they went swinging into danger once again.

Understanding his thoughts without asking, she wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face into his shoulder. Her body jumped with every crash so she used his warmth to prepare herself for battle. Sighing, she pulled away nodding at him as she leapt off the building knowing he would follow. Without looking, she pointed to the right and moved to the left. Lining up on opposite sides of the now glassless café, she watched Cat Noir enter the room first. She heard some scared laughter from the patrons hiding behind the remaining tables and bar, obviously a reaction to a well-timed joke from her partner. She watched as Kim's brother hurled a chair at Cat Noir, wincing at the crashing noise it made against the wall. Cracking her neck, Ladybug used her yo-yo to swing through the window and land away from the piles of glass. A quick scan of the room brought fear in her heart. Instead of possessing people, there were people tacked to the walls with pencils and receipts. It didn't look like they were pierced in any way, but they looked in pain nonetheless. Taking advantage of Cat Noir's stellar distraction techniques, Ladybug tucked down next to a small group hiding behind what used to be the coffee bar.

"Ladybug!"

Alya's squeal was undeniable even if Ladybug hadn't immediately registered her friend's face. Squeezing closer to her best friend, Ladybug crouched lower to the ground to avoid detection by Kim's brother. "What happened, Alya?"

"He is calling himself 'the Waiter' which is not the most creative name if you ask me," Alya rolled her eyes and Ladybug resisted the urge to chuckle. "He lost it after Chloe refused to tip him because her drink burned her tongue. Insufferable…" her words were cut off when Nino clamped a hand over her mouth, making Alya glare at him.

"Sorry, Ms. Ladybug," Nino was watching the akuma as he spoke, "if you let her get started on a rant about Chloe, it will never stop." Alya elbowed Nino in the side causing him to release her.

"I tell it like it is, you know that," Alya ducked as a coffee machine whizzed past their hiding place, "and right now I'm telling you that Cat Noir is getting his butt kicked."

Leaning around the table, Ladybug watching as Cat Noir sprang from the ground to cling to a beam connected to the ceiling. In that moment he looked every bit the cat he was.

"Here's a tip, Waiter," Cat Noir was determined to keep his humor despite his growing anxiety about the destructive nature in this akuma, "you need a better villain name." He struck a plate with his baton as it flew at his head. "Also, no one is going to tip you if you are throwing plates at their heads! Geez!"

Wan was huge. His size was really only coming clear as Ladybug watched him pluck a counter top clean off of the register counter and toss it against a wall. Wan's expression was confused for a moment, his eyes darting around as the purple mask appeared before his face. Squaring his shoulders, Wan spun around and Ladybug knew instantly he was looking for her. As Ladybug crouched to throw her yo-yo at the akuma's legs hoping to catch him off guard and give her leverage against her much larger opponent, a voice rang from the opposite wall. "Ladybug! The akuma is in his note pad! Get it! And get… me… down!" Chloe was attempting to stomp her foot against the wall on which she was pinned. Although the suggestion was helpful, the akuma's newly focused attention on Ladybug was not.

Swallowing hard, remembering that Chloe was going to be a teammate sooner than later, Ladybug repressed the urge to scream at her. "Thanks for the _tip_ , Chloe!" She hard Cat Noir nervously laugh from his spot near the ceiling. She wasn't as good with the jokes as he was, but she was trying.

"Ladybug! Your partner refuses to help me show these people the error of their ways," Wan's form approached her slowly as she took in the bizarrely colored apron and brightly colored shirt and slacks. Her mind briefly wondered where the costume ideas came from, if they were part of the akuma's mind or Hawkmoth's design. The word design struck a chord with her, but she didn't have time to continue the thought as Wan was upon her and hauling her up on her feet. "You see all these people?" Wan asked her in a booming voice, waving the hand clutching his order pad toward all the hiding customers. "They come in here every day, and I'm nice to them, but they never look at me. Some don't even leave a tip, even when I have to bring them new drinks over and over! They treat me like I'm their servant!"

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Cat Noir change positions moving further down the wall. "That's not fair, Wan," her arm hurt where he was squeezing her but she kept her voice even, "you are a wonderful person and always so nice to everyone, you don't deserve to be treated like that." For a moment she saw his eyes soften, appearing to absorb her words. Anger and hurt could lead a person to become a victim, but Wan's good nature was so strong, Ladybug was sure she could appeal to him.

"Technically speaking," Chloe's voice carried through the room like nails on a chalkboard, "when he is working he is a _servant_."

The purple mask was back in front of Wan's eyes, his demeanor changing back to aggressive. If Ladybug had a free hand she would have slapped it against her forehead. The first thing they were going to have to teach Chloe would be the art of tactful observation. She felt the grip on her upper arm loosen as she saw the hand move toward her right ear. Flinging her yo-yo she yanked herself backwards, followed by a roar from Wan and a sea of white slips assaulting her from all sides. She felt the sting as the slips cut past her, realizing that the magic within them was strong enough to pierce her suit. Struggling, she felt herself pinned to the wall, unable to escape the trap of the weaponized paper. "Cat Noir! Help me!"

Running across the wall, Cat Noir called for his cataclysm when he was within inches of Ladybug, using it to dissolve her paper trap. Both heroes fell to the floor as the cash register struck the spot where Ladybug had been pinned mere seconds before. "We need to get that pad," Cat Noir huffed, brushing his hair out of his face. "But he is too big to attack head on!"

"Then you attack him from behind. I'll call for the lucky charm, you get in position." Ladybug watched as Cat Noir slunk around the side of the counter using his baton to flip over a table causing Wan to spin around. Ladybug looked at the espresso machine as it landed in her hands, the confusion flooding her brain. She glanced around the room, unable to formulate a plan, when her gaze fell on a cup and saucer sitting on a back shelf. Standing she placed the machine on what was left of the counter, sliding the cup and saucer into it. "This thing is not working! What is wrong with it?!" Her voice sounded squeaky and she hoped Wan the Waiter wouldn't notice her nervous falsetto. She almost lost her act when she spotted the adorably bewildered look on Cat Noir's face.

The Waiter whipped around, eyes growing wide, "is that an Espresso 2000?" Wan once again lost the crazed look of an akuma trading it for a look of awe over the shiny machine sitting in front of him. "You are doing that all wrong!" Forgetting his anger, Wan approached the counter unaware of his surroundings, completely distracted by the fancy espresso maker.

"Time to cash out!" Cat Noir yelled leaping onto to Wan's back, knocking his akumatized pad out of his hand.

Before she could react, Ladybug watched Alya grab the pad using another customer's cane. In stunned silence, Ladybug watched as Alya flung the pad into the air toward Ladybug keeping her from harm's way and allowing Ladybug to easily catch the pad. A crash from the other side of the room paused her rip in the layers of paper, as she watched Wan stumble around with Cat Noir on his back. The wavering mass passed close to Chloe who used her only free leg to kick Wan in the knee, bringing him to the ground. Ladybug ripped the order pad in two with a smile on her face. Quickly cleansing and releasing the little butterfly, Ladybug threw her lucky charm into the air, watching as the swarm of ladybugs flew through the café repairing all the damage. She and Cat Noir caught pinned customers as they were released from the walls and helped others up from the floor. Wan remained slumped down, head in his hands, tears running down his face. Squatting next to him, Ladybug put an arm around his broad shoulders. "You had a right to be angry, Wan, some people forget how to treat others with respect."

"Thank you, Ladybug," Wan still wouldn't look at her, "it is a terrible feeling, you know, being controlled. Part of me felt the anger but every time it felt like it was passing, there was a voice telling me to keep going, keeping the anger alive." Looking exhausted, Wan sank further back against the wall. "I don't ever want to feel like that again."

Looking to Cat Noir, Ladybug saw the sympathy on his face and the questions. Akuma victims were usually confused, unsure of their surroundings and what had happened. They always assumed that the lucky charm removed their memories of the things each victim had done while akumatized. Wan seemingly remembered more than the others, or was the only one that was honest about it. Now was not the time to pursue the questions, but Ladybug noted that she would talk to Cat Noir about returning to the discussion with Wan.

"You're beeping," Alya was standing above her, with her hand tucked into Nino's, "We'll take care of him." Ladybug stood as Nino and Alya kneeled next to Wan. Everyone turned as Kim rushed into the repaired café.

Pulling Cat Noir's arm, Ladybug led the way out of the building which now stood unharmed. "I think he is in good hands." They both made a coordinated leap onto the boutique's roof. "He remembered." Knowing that she had to leave to avoid exposure, Ladybug poised herself to jump.

Cat Noir stood on the other side of the roof, longing to stay but knowing that he had to go. "We will need to talk to him more. And maybe talk to Nino and Alya and see if they were telling the truth about not remembering."

"Agreed," Ladybug looked over her shoulder, "see you tonight?"

Grinning, Cat Noir looked back at her, "absolutely, can't wait!" With that they flew off in separate directions racing the countdown to transformation.

* * *

In a dark corner, Nooroo lay curled up on a pillow. His knees were against his chest, his tiny arms wrapping them close to him. Quiet fluttering could be heard in the room, but he didn't react to the sound. He was alone again, left to his exhaustion and sadness.

It wasn't always like this. Once they had been partners, they laughed and they worked together in harmony. Now he was Master and Nooroo was… he couldn't bring himself to think the word. Nooroo felt beaten, his powers and body pushed beyond their limits. There was no longer a countdown to an escape from the miraculous, Hawkmoth had learned to control it and could keep Nooroo trapped in the miraculous for as long as he desired. Once, Nooroo felt elated with the power to help the world, now he felt empty inside knowing the evil that was being perpetrated with his power.

His food laid untouched next to his pillow. He needed to eat, but he couldn't find the strength to move. His mind thought of ways to escape, to find the others and tell them what was happening and how to find Hawkmoth. He had felt his counter-parts in varying degrees of closeness over the last year and a half. He knew when they were close and his desire to find them had only grown.

But the man that was Hawkmoth had once been his friend. The good inside the man wasn't gone, but buried by hurt. Nooroo didn't want to abandon the part that was his friend, but staying with the man he had become no longer felt like an option.

Alone, Nooroo tried to formulate a plan, but the exhaustion took over and he slipped into a restless sleep.

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 **Does anyone else ever think about how Nooroo is feeling with his powers being manipulated? This thought has stuck with me for a while now, and it kind of breaks my heart. I love the kwamis!**


	7. Chapter 7

**So, there has been a huge time gap between updates and I am very sorry for that! I'm struggling with knowing exactly where I want to go, but also knowing that there have to be steps to get there. The next two chapters after this one are already written and once they are edited I'll post them back-to-back. Thank you for sticking with me if you are still around to read this!**

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There were piles of clothes all over the floor, stacked in misshapen forms throughout Marinette's bedroom. Alya stood in the doorway with her hands on her hips studying the chaos, clicking her tongue at her best friend's level of panic. Ducking as a shoe flew past her head, Alya threw her hands up in frustration. "Marinette!" Alya picked up the assaulted shoe and added it to a pile next to its mate. "You have to calm down, girl! Adrien sees you every day, he knows what you look like!"

Emerging from the closet red-faced, hair matted to the top of her head, oversized t-shirt hanging off one shoulder, Marinette stared wide-eyed at her cool-headed friend. "It is our first date! I can't look the way I always look at school!"

Calmly, Alya retrieved a mirror from Marinette's desk and held it up to her scattered face. "Is this the look you are going for?" Alya laughed loudly at Marinette's startled expression. "Go shower, brush out whatever is happening on your head, and I'll work on the clothing." Setting the mirror down, Alya grabbed Marinette's shoulders and shoved her toward the bathroom. "While you're in there, take a few deep breaths. Your level of Marinetteness is beyond what I can handle right now."

"What's _Marinetteness_?" Marinette asked as Alya shoved her in the bathroom, closing the door without answering.

 _Deep breaths_ , Marinette thought to herself, _easy for Alya to say, her and Nino had been together for a year_. Even though her and Adrien now know that they had been saving Paris together for almost two years, the idea of a date was still a foreign concept for her. Friendship was finally comfortable, their partnership was one-of-a-kind, but a relationship? That was a giant question mark inside of her head. When it was just a fantasy her mind had taken the relationship concept and fully developed it, to the point of verging on embarrassing. Now though, reality was looming and scaring her into an anxiety level that was new even for her.

Twenty minutes passed before Marinette emerged from the bathroom with her hair tamed and her head slightly less frantic. Her smile came easier as Alya waved an arm toward outfit choices laid out on Marinette's bed. Life was full of twists and turns lately, but Alya's existence continued to be the calm in the eye of Marinette's storm. "Which one is your favorite?" Marinette crossed her arms, inspecting each outfit while she waited for Alya's reply.

"This one," Alya quickly stated, pointing to a soft pink skirt and fitted three-quarter length shirt, "it is girly but comfortable, date-like but not formal."

Marinette nodded, moving to her dresser to select a bracelet and scoped a pair of blue flats off of the one of the discarded piles as she returned to her bed side. Placing the accessories over the outfit, she smiled at the result, her designer's eye pleased with the look. Sparring a quick hug for Alya, she grabbed the clothes and returned to the bathroom to change.

"Do you think Adrien is this nervous?" Marinette called from behind the door.

Alya snickered, glancing at the text from Nino which held a picture of a more than slightly flustered Adrien stuck half-in and half-out of his backward facing shirt. "I'm going with yes," Alya shoved the phone in Marinette's face as she returned to the room once again, laughter coming out at full force when the blush appeared on Marinette's cheeks.

All Marinette could see in the picture was Adrien's exposed stomach, Cat Noir's exposed stomach. Her brain had ceased all function and there were thoughts in her head that she wasn't prepared for. Shaking her damp hair she tried to clear her mind, the red on her face getting even darker as she registered the shoulder shaking laughter coming from Alya. "You should delete that," Marinette tore her eyes away from Alya's phone, "it might embarrass him if he sees it." Picking up her own beeping phone, Marinette rolled her eyes at Alya.

"Well I wasn't going to delete it without making sure you have a copy!" Alya's patented smirk was back on her face. "Friends look after each other, you know." Alya winked at her.

"True," Marinette contemplated the subject and took a chance, even though she should have talked to Cat Noir first. "Hey Alya?"

Spinning around in Marinette's desk chair, Alya lifted an eyebrow in Marinette's direction.

"You know more about Ladybug and Cat Noir than anyone, right?" Marinette played with a string on her cat pillow hiding her nerves.

"Well, duh!" Alya said sounding slightly offended, "I'm the only who cares to study everything about them!"

"Do you think the akumas are getting stronger? Or do you think Cat Noir and Ladybug are getting weaker?" Marinette tried to sound casual, knowing that Alya would see through her.

"First, what's with the sudden interest? You barely shrug when I talk about either of Paris' most _fantastic_ heroes. Wait, are you reading my blog again?!" The doubt in Alya's voice vanished instantly, replaced with excitement that her best friend may have finally joined her on the superhero worship train.

"Yes," Marinette lied not looking up, "and I just think… what if Cat Noir and Ladybug had help? More heroes?"

Alya sat back, with a hand stroking her chin in obvious thought. "Well, more superheroes would be exciting, but Cat Noir and Ladybug have this rhythm together, I don't know how other heroes would fit into that." Alya focused on her phone, noting Nino's text that the boys were only a few minutes away. "Besides, I still think that they are in love with each other, even though they deny it constantly. New members might mess up their ability to finally figure themselves out."

Marinette's mouth was hanging open in surprise. It was only within the past few days that she had realized her feelings for her partner. Alya sat there speaking as if the love between them was not only apparent, but was somehow not news at all. Her brain was clicking like a record skipping on a turn table. Alya was still talking, unaware of the screeching halt she had caused inside of Marinette's brain.

"Also, do you think superheroes grow on trees? They can't randomly decide to add teammates. Superheroes have backstories and origins, they don't drop out of the sky. You really need a lesson on superheroes!" Alya ended her thought process with an irritated huff which was interrupted by the sound of Mrs. Dupain-Cheng's voice calling them to their dates. Swinging to her feet with glee, Alya dragged Marinette to hers. "Ready for this?"

* * *

"You look beautiful, m'lady," Adrien whispered in Marinette's ear as they stood shoulder to shoulder in line for movie tickets. Nino and Alya were busy arguing about movies and popcorn, leaving Marinette and Adrien to stand quietly together in the midst of their nerves. When she looked up to his face, the Cat Noir smile was merged with the redness of Adrien's cheeks. If they had been anywhere else, she would have succumbed to the overwhelming desire to throw herself into his arms. Instead, they stood in a crowded cue, barely brushing against one another, smiling dumbly into each other's eyes.

"Yo, lovebirds," Nino called back, bringing attention to the fact that the whole line had moved forward without them. As she stepped forward, she felt Adrien's hand flutter near the small of her back sending little tingles sprawling throughout her spine.

His fingertips ached with the need for contact with her, his mind hesitated knowing that too much contact would catch Alya's watchful eye. A double date had seemed like a good idea for their cover and an even better idea an hour ago when the nerves in his stomach had been banging around hard enough to make him feel sick. Now, he longed to be alone with the girl.

"So, man," Nino slapped Adrien on the shoulder, "comedy or drama? Alya says drama, I say comedy. No one looks good when they cry, am I right?"

"Excuse me!" The familiarity of the voice stiffened Marinette's spine. She turned to see Chloe cutting through the line, making a beeline to their group. "Adrikins!" the blond screeched as she threw her arms around Adrien's neck. A small giggle escaped Marinette when she noticed Adrien's facial expression and quickly found herself wondering if she had missed that look previously. She had missed so many things, could his lack of attraction to Chloe also be one of them? Somehow it made Marinette feel even more confident about Chloe's potential new role in her life.

Adrien politely removed Chloe's arms from his neck and cleared his throat. "Hi, Chloe, who are you here with?" He shifted his body closer to Marinette again, quickly tossing a reassuring smile in her direction.

"Sabrina, of course," Chloe flicked her pony tail over her shoulder as her glasses wearing friend stumbled into their group, "but we can hang with you guys if you want." Leaning on Adrien's shoulder, Chloe batted her eyelashes at him.

"Actually…" Alya stepped up looking menacing.

"Actually," Adrien interrupted patting Alya's shoulder silently begging for patience, "we are on a date." Resisting the urge to laugh at Chloe's shocked face, Marinette leaned into Adrien when he placed a hesitant arm around her shoulders.

"With her?!" Chloe's voice reached octaves only dogs could hear as her fists bunched up against her sides. Stomping her foot, she spun out of the line. "Come on, Sabrina," Chloe screeched over her shoulder, "movies are lame anyway!" As Chloe stormed off she knocked into a movie theater employee attempting to sweep up trash, scattering his bag across the floor. "Watch where you are going!" Chloe screamed as she slammed out of the theater, letting the door bang into Sabrina's face on the way out.

"And Chloe creates another akuma," Alya joked, casually waving her hand at the muttering employee.

A panicked look exchanged between Marinette and Adrien as they simultaneously leapt out of the line and toward the disgruntle employee. Marinette put a hand on his arm apologizing for Chloe's hasty behavior while attempting to explain why the pony-tailed girl had been so upset. Meanwhile, Adrien took over cleaning up the trash that was spread on the floor. Despite their efforts, the young pimply-faced employee continued to look miffed. Snatching the bag of trash and the broom from Adrien's hands, he moved quickly away from them continuing the muttering under his breath.

Returning to the line, Marinette thanked the people behind them for letting them back in. Alya starred at the couple with squinted eyes, suspicious of the way they had moved into action like a fluid team instead of the bumbling dorks that now stood before her.

"Do you think that helped avoid the akuma issue?" It was Nino that spoke addressing Alya as much as the other two.

"I don't know," Marinette chewed on her bottom lip, "I hope so. He seemed mad about other things too."

"The ladyblog should keep a tally of how many akumas Chloe has caused!" Nino said excitedly, snapping Alya out of her intense study of their friends. "I bet the number is pretty shocking."

"That's not a good idea!" Adrien and Marinette shouted in unison as the line finally reached the ticket window, drawing the subject to a close.

* * *

The theater was dark and smelled of stale popcorn. The movie had been running for at least thirty minutes when Marinette felt something brush against the back of her hand. Glancing down, she saw Adrien's hand resting next to hers. Glancing up, she found him looking down at her smiling the way she had only recently seen without a mask. When she smiled back, he moved his fingers to intertwine with hers. Taking a chance she rested her head on his shoulder, thinking about how someday she would tell their grandchildren about this moment.

 ** _CRASH!_**

The entire theater jumped out of their seats as a large unidentifiable object came flying through the screen landing at the feet of the guests in the front row. Behind the now destroyed screen stood a boy dressed as a brightly-colored old fashioned movie usher, including the hat which sat crooked on his head. "Time to clean out the theater!" he shouted, stepping through the screen and into the scrambling crowd. Throwing name tags at running people, the group of four watched as the tags magically adhered to themselves to each person. Each tagged person began cleaning the floor and seats of the theater with distant looks on their faces.

"Remember how you asked me if the akumas are getting stronger?" Alya said glancing back at Marinette as they crept on all fours through their line of seats to the aisle. "I can say for certain that they are getting lamer. It is almost as if Hawkmoth is using any excuse to akumatize people at this point!"

Marinette froze, causing Adrien to crash into the back of her legs. Alya studied Cat Noir and Ladybug extensively. She talked continuously about the duo, their origins and their possible histories. Not once had Alya ever mentioned Hawkmoth by name anywhere but on her blog, even after Ladybug's public proclamation against Hawkmoth at the Eifel Tower. This fact had the gears in Marinette's mind running on overdrive. She instantly recalled Wan's statements in the café.

The group had made it to the edge of the aisle, when theater seats started flying across the room crashing into walls and people as they ran. "We need to split up," Adrien called from the back of their small line.

"Ladybug! Cat Noir! I know you are in here!"

The akumatized voice seeped into Marinette's brain. Did he actually know or was the akuma confused about the instructions being provided by Hawkmoth? She tried to suppress the panic as she shoved out of the theater with her friends. As they burst into the lobby, Adrien was the first to speak. "We need to run," he was shoving Marinette and Alya out of the door onto the sidewalk.

"Get out of here as fast as we can," Marinette was panting, "if we get separated, meet at the bakery!" She listened to Alya's protests as Nino dragged her away from the theater. Marinette made like she was following them when she was suddenly yanked to the side down a dark alley. She found herself pressed between a wall and Adrien.

"Um, sorry!" Adrien pushed away looking more Adrien than Cat Noir. "We had to separate from them to get back in there."

She tried not to overanalyze his awkwardness as Tikki escaped from her purse. She transformed and then watched as he did the same. "So much for a first date, huh?" She looked like Ladybug but sounded like Marinette.

Taking her by surprise Cat Noir snaked a hand around her waist, pulling her closer. "It wouldn't be us if it was uneventful, right?"

The smile that had once annoyed her was melting her into a useless puddle. Without thinking, she grabbed his cat bell yanking his face to hers and kissing him. Releasing him, she smiled and tweaked his nose at the silly expression on his face. "Let's get in there and stop this guy, so we can catch up with our friends and finish this date." Ladybug threw her yo-yo up onto a power line above her head throwing herself around the corner, knowing that Cat Noir would follow as soon as he could think again.


	8. Chapter 8

**This is a LONG update! I have edited this several times, but still not sure I have caught all the mistakes. (Sorry!)**

 **Named the bee kwami "Abeille" as it is the french word for "bee." I cannot find anything that indicates what her name will actually be, but if I do I may change this detail to stay within canon.**

 **We're headed toward the climax of this story. I don't want to drag it out, but I also don't want to rush it. Creating that balance has presented an interesting conundrum for me.**

 **Hope you enjoy this part! Next chapter should also be up this weekend :)**

* * *

A light rain coated Paris as Marinette walked toward Master Fu's home. The weather had driven most people inside for the day, but Marinette had grown to love the rain. And umbrellas, she definitely had a fondness for umbrellas. She hummed a little to herself, hearing Tikki joining in from inside her bag.

The akuma had been quickly defeated the night before allowing her and Adrien to spend a few hours relaxing with Alya and Nino in her bedroom. When they had arrived almost thirty minutes after the other couple, their tousled hair and winded demeanor was written off as the result of a sneaky make out session. It was easier to accept the embarrassment of Alya's teasing than to try to come up with a different excuse. _I wish we would have been kissing instead of fighting a half-hearted akuma victim_ , Marinette thought with a scrunch of her nose. The fight hadn't lasted long, even considering how tired the duo had been and the akumatized theater employee had nearly given up in his quest by the time they had reappeared in the theater. Either Hawkmoth was losing control on his victims, or his hasty need for more victims was causing him to jump the gun and akumatize anyone he could. She wasn't sure which one it was, or if it was a bit of both, but she planned on bringing it up with Master Fu.

 **Whoosh!** Something black flew passed her head, startling her and automatically bringing her to a fighting stance. She relaxed and rolled her shoulders when she saw her smug partner leaning against the wall in front of her swinging his tail.

"Hello, Princess," Cat Noir purred invoking her pre-reveal nickname, "looking tired. Hot date keep you up last night?"

Without hesitation, Marinette rolled her eyes. It didn't matter if he was her boyfriend, he was still a complete dork. A cute one, but a complete dork nonetheless. "It was alright," she struck back, walking a breath beyond him and nudging him in the back of the knee with her foot. She giggled when he stumbled, catching him softly by the bow that was latched on his back. "Don't cats hate the rain?" Releasing him she crossed the street, counting the seconds before he latched onto her side. _He is such a predictable, needy cat_ , she smirked to herself.

"Someone stole my umbrella and never gave it back," Cat Noir quipped, flicking Marinette's pigtail with his index claw. "And my dad suddenly appeared at the house, so my only way out was the window." Before she could respond, he had swung away from her, bouncing like a ping pong ball up the walls of the brick buildings.

 _Show off_ , she thought, smiling at his back, _if I wasn't hauling all this food for the kwamis I could have taken the faster way too._ Her gaze fell on the staircase as she began the labored task that was the climb to Master Fu's loft.

"Took you long enough," Cat Noir whispered from a dark corner as Marinette reached the proper floor.

"Ah!" Marinette exclaimed, losing her footing, "are you determined to give me a heart attack today?" She swatted out at him as he slinked toward her on the floor, crawling up her legs to bring his face next to hers. Breathe hitching in her throat, she leaned towards him.

The door to the loft swung open, causing them to jolt while simultaneously head butting each other. "That's a strange way to show affection," Master Fu rocked on his heels not hiding his amusement, "come now you two."

Cat Noir yanked Marinette to her feet, both of them rubbing their hands to their heads. Following instructions, they entered the loft heading straight for the training room. "You may detransform, Cat Noir," Master Fu stated simply, waiting until Adrien stood before him to speak again. "We are not training today. Instead, it is time to deliver these." Master Fu placed a box in each of the sets of hands in front of him. "Ladybug, you will deliver Trixx to her new holder. Cat Noir, you are in charge of taking Abeille to her new holder. Leave these boxes where they will be easily found by _only_ the holder, the kwamis will provide the rest of the instructions. Be prepared to meet your new teammates at the stadium this afternoon."

Similar facial expressions were plastered to each heroes face. "What if an akuma attacks between now and then? The new heroes might show up for a battle they are not ready to face." Adrien looked deeply concerned about this possibility.

A pondering look passed between Wayzz and Master Fu. "If my timing is correct, there should a reprieve on akuma victims, at least for today."

There was a weary feeling in Marinette's stomach watching the looks exchanging between the oldest partners in the group. It seemed as if they knew more than they were letting on. "Master…"

"I don't know about Chloe for this!" Adrien blurted out interrupting Marinette's question. The guilt consumed his face as he dropped his eyes to look at his shoes. "I mean, I have known her for a long time, but it seems like she creates akumas at a remarkable rate, and I don't know…"

Marinette shook her head at Master Fu before he could respond. Placing a quiet hand on Adrien's shoulder, she softly shook it until he looked up. "I akumatized Santa Claus."

It took a minute for Adrien to process her statement. When he did, the laughter came on strong, bringing the other two humans and all three kwamis into the mix of sound. "Ok, yeah, that was bad."

"Volpina was my fault too," Marinette looked increasingly more sheepish, "and let's not forget Max becoming the Gamer." The laughter had dissipated as quickly as it had come, replaced with relief on Adrien's face. "I know that it might seem that Chloe is involved in more than her fair share of akumas, but no one is immune to accidentally creating negative emotions in someone else. I even worry about us sometimes, or at least me when I was unsure about your feelings." Eyes going wide, Marinette covered her face with her free hand, feeling the fire burning from her cheeks. She wanted to reassure her partner, not sound like a crazy stalker.

"You are cute when you blush," Adrien admitted, blushing along with his girlfriend when he saw Master Fu grinning at them. "Sorry, sir," Adrien mumbled, staring at the floor.

"No apologies," Master Fu waved his hand, "but you do need to make haste. Your new teammates need their miraculouses and you need to get acquainted as soon as possible. Go now."

The finality of his words left them standing awkwardly for a minute. Shrugging, Marinette retrieved Tikki from where she was snaking with the other kwamis. Plagg put up a larger fight, threatening to bite Adrien's fingers as he pulled the tiny black ball of fury away from the cheese platter. Shaking his head, Adrien called for his transformation. "I'll meet you at the stadium, m'lady," he bowed deeply and leapt from the window in a dramatic twirl.

Marinette hesitated, holding Tikki gently in her hands. "Master Fu?" her voice was low and she continued even when the older man didn't turn his back. "You are worried something big is coming, aren't you?"

Without turning around, he nodded his balding head. "Protect your love's heart, Ladybug," Master Fu moved to the window peering out into the rain, "be honest and up front with him in all matters and never let any action go unexplained."

His lingering silence was her dismissal. Heading into the rain, Marinette began to formulate a plan as to how to leave the tiny black box where only Alya would find it.

* * *

Dropping down a block from the building owned by Chloe's dad, Adrien transformed in the alley before casually approaching the doorman. He could hear Plagg muttering about abandoned cheese from his coat pocket. "Good morning, sir," Adrien used the voice generally reserved for his father's work parties, "I am here to see Chloe."

The doorman eyed Adrien with an air of disbelief. His mouth opened as if to give a list of reasons why Adrien would not be let in, when a high-pitched screech stopped his words before they could start. "Oh Adrien! What a surprise!" He was tackled from behind by the exuberant blond and then promptly dragged forward into the lobby. "I finally got rid of Sabrina for a while, so let's hang out!"

It was useless to argue, as he knew that getting to Chloe's top floor penthouse had been his goal in the first place. Somehow he would have to signal Ladybug of his potential hostage situation, otherwise he may never be allowed to leave.

"Are you listening to me?" Chloe pouted, leaning against the back of the elevator. "Why would you come see me if you aren't going to listen to me talk!" Her ponytail bobbed as she stomped from the elevator.

"Sorry, Chloe," Adrien said quietly. His demeanor had reverted to the quiet, sullen version of himself. The version he was before Cat Noir had become a part of him and Marinette became a piece of his heart. He didn't like the model part of himself, but he didn't know how to turn it off with anyone other than Nino and Marinette. _Or hidden behind a mask_ , he frowned to himself.

"You are STILL NOT LISTENING!" Chloe threw her shopping bags onto a nearby couch out of frustration.

"Chloe," Adrien started, hesitating only slightly, feeling the weight of the little black box in his pocket, "please, I'm sorry I'm distracted."

"What's gotten into you, Adrien? Not that I mind, but you never _willingly_ show up on my doorstep." Unsuccessfully, she tried to hide the pain of that statement.

Adrien looked at the girl in front of him. They had been the closest thing he had to friends growing up, mostly because they had been the only kids around to play with and the only playmates approved by their parents. Their mothers had been friends too, which Adrien supposed was why he continued to protect Chloe, pushing himself not to give up hope for her. "My dad has been gone for almost two weeks and then showed back up today trying to rearrange my whole schedule. I had to get out."

"Oh," wind deflated from her ever-puffing sails, Chloe sank onto an arm chair. "I haven't seen my dad except for dinner this entire month."

"I miss my mom," they said in unison, smiling into the other's hurt faces.

"It doesn't get any easier, does it?" Adrien said, letting himself drop into the opposite chair. Chloe's mom had been gone longer than his and he couldn't imagine how Chloe felt.

"No, especially on birthdays and holidays," Chloe was quiet, twirling the end of her ponytail.

In that moment she was every bit the little girl he used to race around the halls of the hotel with as a child. No screeching or demanding, no putting anyone down. She was Chloe, plain and simple, and he liked it, but it also made him frustrated. "That akuma last night at the movie theater was the employee you knocked over." His voice was almost a whisper, not knowing how she was going to react.

"He was in my way!" Chloe shouted defensively as she shot up. After a second, she sat down again looking hurt, "and I was upset. You should have told me about Marinette, not sprung it on me, that wasn't fair." Her voice stammered out coated with mixed anger and vulnerability.

"You knew I liked Marinette before I even knew it!" Adrien shot back. His face was red, hanging toward the floor with his hair covering what it could.

"Hmph," Chloe pouted, "I guess. What does she have that I don't?"

The list of reasons he was head-over-heels for Marinette/Ladybug sat on the tip of his tongue. He gritted his teeth against the word vomit which desperately wanted to spill out. "It isn't a comparison between the two of you. Just because I like her doesn't mean you and I aren't friends." A quick glance in Chloe's direction revealed a slight slump to his friend's shoulders, but an accepting relaxation was taking over her once hostile facial expression. In his pocket his phone began to ring, diverting his attention to the name blaring up at him. "It's my dad," Adrien said, trying to hide his disappointment, "I guess I need to get going." As he glared at the phone, Chloe shrugged, easing off of the chair and walking out of the room without a word. Quietly, Adrien slipped the little black box onto the coffee table and left the apartment. His ignored phone rang loudly in his hand as he entered the elevator.

* * *

"Alya! Marinette is here!" Alya's mom called into the apartment, waving her hand to signal Marinette inside. "Go on back, Marinette, I don't know what she is up to."

Smiling, Marinette thanked Alya's mom as she moved passed her and down the hallway to knock on Alya's door. There was a muffled response giving Marinette permission to enter. The scene in front of her was something out of a crime scene drama. There were pictures tacked to Alya's walls of different akuma victims, post-it notes stuck to each one seemingly listing their name, date of appearance, and their individual goals. Red yarn traced from each akuma to other pictures, including a picture of Marinette and a separate picture of Ladybug smiling from Alya's wall. Quickly reviewing all of the connections, Marinette realized that Alya was creating a web that symbolized the causation of all the akuma attacks. It was a little unsettling to see herself attached to so many victims, even if she had openly admitted to these links earlier that morning. Gulping hard, she approached Alya who was crossed-legged on the floor with a map spread out in front of her. "What are you doing?"

Alya jumped as if she hadn't realized anyone else was in the room with her. Blinking, she stared up at Marinette registering her friend's presence. "When did you get here?"

Eyebrow raised, Marinette sat down on the floor to Alya's left. "I walked in a few seconds ago. What is all of this?" Her eyes followed her arm, sweeping the room at a slow pace.

"Remember yesterday when you asked me if the akumas were getting stronger?" Alya eyebrows were so tightly knitted together they appeared as one long caterpillar across her forehead. "It got me thinking. I don't think they are getting stronger, in fact the one last night was merely irritated and not angry enough to really make sense, especially if Hawkmoth is praying on negative feelings. But there are _more_ of them. And look," Alya shifted the map toward Marinette, "they are in a concentrated area, and becoming more concentrated with each attack. I think Hawkmoth is narrowing in on Ladybug and Cat Noir, I think they are in more danger than ever."

Marinette looked at the swirls of red created by Alya's pins in the map. Her stomach felt as if she had eaten too many sweets and then ridden on the Ferris wheel. The school appeared as an epi-center in the middle of the chaos. It was too much to bare looking at the map, seeing the multitude of akuma victims pinned by place of origin. So many victims, in less than two years, how could she not have noticed this?

Hauling herself from the floor, Alya moved to her computer to bring up the ladyblog. Curious, Marinette twisted in her seat in time to see Alya switch into her editing program. "What are you doing now?" Her eyes darted over the screen as Alya moved articles and pictures around, removing images and information as she went.

"If I have figured this out, someone else might as well," Alya's scowl was illuminated by the bright computer light in the dim room. "I need to decrease the information I am putting out there to keep Ladybug and Cat Noir safe. There is no way to know if Hawkmoth is tracking them in any way he can."

The bed creaked as Marinette moved to sit on the edge of it. "Alya, can I ask you something?" She saw her friend's head bob and moved on without verbal confirmation. "What was it like being akumatized, do you remember it?" She had never pressed Alya on the subject. Part of her was worried that Lady WiFi had spent so much time in close contact with Ladybug that if Alya was forced to recall those memories she would easily recognize the Marinette in Ladybug's personality.

Hands pausing on her keyboard, Alya's shoulders sunk. "We never really talked about it, did we?" The stress in Alya's voice was enough to make Marinette wish she had never asked. "I always figured you didn't want to know, and I wanted to forget everything I could." A small hand touched Alya's shoulder. Warmth returned to Alya's face as she smiled down at Marinette's slender fingers squeezing reassurance into her arm. "It was like being in a cloud. I could hear him talking to me, Hawkmoth that is, he actually introduced himself, the cocky bastard. I suppose that means he is telepathic in some way. It was like he was pulling the reigns and my brain and body were his horse. He was using me, manipulating me. Parts are completely blank, and other parts are fuzzy, none of it is crystal clear to be honest."

The feeling in her chest was pure pain as Marinette watched Alya strain against the memories of her akumatization. Being out of control of your own body, having your emotions used against you and against others; Marinette was sure there wasn't a worse feeling in the world. Her guilt for not protecting her friend from that feeling began to overwhelm her, bringing tears to her eyes. "I'm sorry, Alya," Marinette whispered.

"Why are you sorry?" Alya whipped around to look at Marinette. "Girl, you didn't akumatize me. That was Chloe's fault for pissing me off and Hawkmoth's fault for taking advantage of it. I would like to punch them both in the nose! I wish Ladybug would take that guy out already!" Her curled fist pounded onto the desk next to her keyboard. "Maybe you are right, maybe they do need help. No one should ever have to be akumatized again!" A clap of thunder and blinding lightening shook Alya's window, making her words feel as if the heavens were seconding them.

"Uh oh, this storm looks like it is about to get worse," Marinette stood up, Alya completely missing the double-meaning of her words. "Any chance I could borrow an umbrella? I left mine at home... again." Marinette laughed at Alya's exasperated expression. Watching as her best friend disappeared into her closet, Marinette slipped the black box out of her purse and onto the desk next to Alya's keyboard. She heard her friend's frustrated chatter from inside the closet and stifled her desire to laugh. "On second thought, I am going to make a run for it. Thanks anyway!" Running from the room, Marinette spared a quick goodbye for Alya's family, sprinting passed them and out of the front door. Tucking herself into an alley, she called for her transformation figuring the rain would be easier to tolerate if she was propelling herself over the rooftops instead of running the streets in her cloth flats.

It didn't take her long to arrive at the top of the stadium, spotting her favorite leather-clad partner crouched under an overhang. Dropping down next to him, she didn't resist the urge to tussle his wet hair. "How did it go?"

His brain was on temporary hiatus as the open affection she had shown him while dressed as Ladybug was still new and heart-shattering in his world. Clicking back to reality, he smiled slowly, pulling her toward him until he could feel her pressed against every inch of his side. "It is going to be interesting," he mused, eyes still trained on the empty field, anxiously taking in every entry point.

"We need to talk about something," Ladybug eased herself away from him so she could look at him head on. "When we are alone, where no one can see us, I want all of your affection on me," she stopped his grinning lips from advancing on her with her palm, laughing in spite of her serious tone. "When the other teammates are with us though, or when anyone else is around, we have to be careful. Adrien and Marinette are now publicly dating, if Ladybug and Cat Noir all of a sudden are doing the same thing, it won't take long for people to jump to conclusions. Especially Alya." His pout was the height of irresistible and her resolve on this issue was almost torn to pieces.

Changing to a wicked smile, Cat Noir dodged Ladybug's outstretched hand bringing his nose to touch hers. "If they aren't here though, all my attention can be on you?" He saw the heartbeat jump in her throat and kissed her where he had seen the skin twitch. Adrien was internally squealing like a fangirl coming face-to-face with her object of lust, but Cat Noir was playing it cool.

Playfully pushing his chest away, Ladybug scratched him under the chin, before dropping her hand. Marinette was screeching in her brain begging her to encourage his advances, but Ladybug focused on the dopey smile of her cat-eared partner to quiet those demands. "Don't get carried away, they should be here any minute."

"What do we do until then?" Cat Noir nuzzled under her arm and into her side, giving her a sheepish grin as she raised her eyebrow at him.

Idly running her fingers in his hair, she stared at the gloomy sky. "We wait."


	9. Chapter 9

**I have agonized over this chapter. As some of you have noticed, I am trying to stay on canon (in canon?) as much as possible, but as we enter this chapter, there is less canon information. I have thought, and rethought, and then rethought some more about how to handle the powers of each of the miraculouses. Volpina's power almost matching Lila Volpina's powers plays nicely into this story line, so I went with it. For Queen Bee I started with several different ideas (balls of energy that attack like bees, a ball of energy that pulls objects in to create a protective barrier around the heroes, sort of hive like). In the end I went with the idea that Queen Bee (which is the name I'm going to hang with for now because I think Chloe would love it) would act almost like a healer to the group. Since Chloe's character arc seems to be focused on redemption, I thought it would be interesting to have her power concentrate more on the health, happiness and potential safety of the group, instead of an active fighting power. In my mind, this fit nicely with the way Chloe's character will develop in this story.**

 **I do have shorts that go through Alya and Chloe getting their miraculouses, but they didn't fit directly into the story. I may put them on my tumblr though (n3rdlif343va).**

 **Obviously, everyone has different ideas and thoughts about how these miraculouses are going to play out in Season 2 (which btw I won't be able to see until the summer), so all I ask is that you are respectful of mine. I really, really hope that you continue to enjoy this story!**

 **Without further introduction, meet Volpina and Queen Bee!**

* * *

Ladybug's face was pinched together as she tried to survey the open field through the increasing rain. She was supposedly the carrier of good luck, but the constant increase in the power of the storm was beginning to make her doubt it. Master Fu choosing the stadium as their rendezvous point with their new teammates was almost becoming comical as the world was being pounded by the unforgiving downfall. As her eyes strained against the watery curtain, a flash of orange to her right caught her off-guard. Cat Noir sprang to his feet, ears twitching rapidly as he zeroed in on the orange and white figure standing in the middle of the field. It seemed that Volpina had finally made her entrance.

Set to spring from the platform, Ladybug felt her body being hauled off its feet. Her scream was instantly lost on her lips as Cat Noir smothered them with his. It was a bold move, pulling them both flush to the wall behind the newscaster booth, and the intensity of the feeling it brought to her sucked all her will to argue from her body. The kiss lingered, almost as if each of them needed it to feel secure before leaping down to greet the unknown.

Pulling back, Cat Noir smiled at her, wiping the stray hairs from her forehead. "I'm sorry, I couldn't help it," his eyes fell to the ground where his foot was twitching back and forth.

The insecurity under the black mask was all Adrien, and Ladybug softened seeing the two personalities blending together in front of her. Tracing her gloved fingers over his mask, she waited until he responded by looking at her. "I needed it too," she said, cupping his cheek, heart softening at his quiet smile, "one more and then we have to get down there, okay?"

His ecstatic smile as he lunged back toward her face caused their teeth to clink together in uncomfortable contact. Both erupted into laughter which eased the tension more than their physical encounter had. Their relationship was comprised of so many layers, but the ability to laugh at their own awkwardness was quickly becoming their glue. Trying again, Cat Noir slipped his hand behind Ladybug's head and kissed her with his fingers tangled in her pigtails.

Sighing away from the kiss, Ladybug patted his cheek when he groaned. "I can't always be the voice of reason," she teased, shifting away from him and back into the open space, "time to get to work." Leaving him behind, she leapt from the platform toward the field as the rain began to slow.

He wanted to move, he really did, but his feet wouldn't cooperate. Leaving the safe place under the overhang meant admitting it wouldn't be the two of them anymore. They would no longer be a partnership, now they were going to be a team, and Cat Noir couldn't shake the negative feelings that came along with that. Swallowing hard, hoping to push all his doubts out, he heaved himself off the platform and onto the field to meet his newest teammate.

"And Cat Noir!" Volpina spoke a little too loudly shaking the mask of her false bravado.

He landed next to Ladybug, nodding in the orange hero's direction. His gloved hand twitched, instinctively wanting to touch his lady as he landed, but he checked the impulse. "Volpina, right? And not the akuma one I'm hoping, she was…."

"Don't do it!" Ladybug warned, arms crossing with one hip jutted out.

"Sneaky as a fox!" Cat Noir finished, laughing at his own joke.

"Is he always like that?" Volpina turned a skeptical face to Ladybug. Even if Ladybug hadn't known it was Alya in the mask, the sarcastic tone would have been a dead giveaway.

"He is," Ladybug shot an adoring glance toward her love, "you get used to it." Volpina was twirling her flute in her hands, eyes flicking between her idols. Ladybug squirmed, knowing how closely Alya paid attention to the body language of other people, she was going to have to be even more careful now. "So, what are your powers?"

The flute halted its figure-eight path, coming to rest in both of Volpina's hands. "Flight. I don't have the tools you two have to throw myself all over the city, but I can fly. And when I do this," Volpina played a melody on her flute which included a high pitched missed note that made them all wince, "this energy ball appears at the end." Carefully, as if trying to for the first time, Volpina palmed the ball holding it as if it were made of pure glass. "I need to practice with it, but apparently I can use it as a diversion. It creates a scene or a distraction or something. If you didn't know, I'm learning. I'll have a hang of it in no time though." Letting the energy ball drop to her feet, the three jumped back when a large hole appeared in the field.

"Um, as a point of interest," Cat Noir teetered on the edge of the vast opening, "we try not to destroy things without a good reason."

Curious, Ladybug tossed her yo-yo toward the ground. As soon as the red spiral collided with the top of the hole, the entire thing disappeared in a puff of smoke. "An illusion," she said almost to herself, "I guess that wasn't a Lila thing, which means…" she let her thought trail off not wanting to share it until it was fully formed. Somehow she knew that the akumatized Volpina and the real Volpina having similar powers was linked but she couldn't quite make the connection.

A beep sounded from the necklace around Volpina's neck. "Drat!" Volpina exclaimed, "like you guys, I can only do the energy ball once and then it is bye-bye transformation. I guess I should get out of here." Volpina looked disappointed for their meeting to be over so soon.

Snagging the orange hero's wrist, Ladybug tugged her back into their small circle. "You have a few minutes, please wait one more? If she isn't here by then, you can go."

The eyebrow raise and popped hip were not missed by Ladybug. "What do you mean _she_?" Volpina asked with every bit of Alya's attitude shining through. Somehow Ladybug was going to have to impress upon Volpina that she couldn't be so much Alya when she was transformed. How to go about that discussion was a complete mystery at the moment.

A faint slamming of a car door echoed outside of the stadium's gates accompanied by the faint sounds of a familiar voice. An incredulous look crept unto Ladybug's face, alarm causing her to dart glances toward Volpina praying her fox ears weren't as sharp as Cat Noir's ears. If Chloe had her driver deliver her to the stadium for this meeting, Ladybug was going to strangle her with her bare hands. All of their eyes were trained where the noise was coming from, different reactions crossing their faces as the black and yellow hero set foot into the stadium.

It was surreal to see Chloe dressed as a superhero and Cat Noir did not hide his confusion over the sight. To anyone else seeing his face, they would have assumed he was shocked to see another hero. For Ladybug, she understood that her partner's look was directly related to seeing that particular person strolling onto the field as a legitimate heroine. "Over here," Ladybug called, waving her hand unnecessarily as they were the only beings present in the entire structure.

"I repeat," Volpina spoke loudly, "who is she?"

"Queen Bee," the black and yellow figure spoke with an unmistakable air, although Ladybug was pleasantly surprised that Queen Bee seemed to be trying to change her voice. Volpina had made no effort to disguise her normal tone, which was both surprising and concerning.

Ladybug stepped forward in the leader role she was born to play, "welcome to the team, Queen Bee." She shook the reluctant black and yellow hand. "Volpina has already showed us her power, so she will have to leave sooner than later, but let's see yours and then we'll talk."

"Is she always so bossy?" Queen Bee shot back, then dissolved into a jumbling mess, "I mean, not that I mind, I was so surprised to find this little thing in my apartment and then the bee appeared and she could talk, and oh my gosh, I'm just so excited to be new best friends with Ladybug!" There was no time to avoid the embrace, leaving Ladybug tightly wrapped in Queen Bee's arms as she shook the polka-dotted hero back and worth. "This is going to be so much fun!"

"Fun?!" Volpina shouted, her flute crashing against her left thigh with a painful smack, "don't be a dolt! We are here to save Paris from that psycho Hawkmoth, not braid each other's hair and have tea parties, get a grip on yourself!" Volpina shoved Queen Bee off of Ladybug's body with such force that Cat Noir had to stop her from falling to the ground.

Ceasing any retort from Queen Bee, Ladybug stood between them with her hands out. "That's enough, we are a team now. Everyone has the right to react to the news in their own way." She huffed out a frustrated breath making her bangs flutter. "Let's go over a few things quickly, before Volpina changes back. First, no one can know who we really are, not even each other, got it?" She looked at the shocked face of Queen Bee, understanding that underneath the mask Chloe was horrified that she couldn't let the world know of her powers. "It is for everyone's safety, including ours. Cat Noir and I have managed for almost two years, and I expect both of you to follow the same rule." She saw Cat Noir flinch at the lie and ignored it. It was a necessary evil. "Second, we watch out for each other, including paying attention to the countdown to transformation, you have to be somewhere where no one will see you transform." The third chime from Volpina's necklace hurried Ladybug's speech. "Lastly, take care of your kwamis, find out what they like to eat, care for them as if they are your partners too. They aren't just the magical force in your miraculous, they are a guiding force in your life now. Trust them to steer you in the right direction when you have doubts. Now Queen Bee, quickly, what is your power?"

Right hand bobbing up and down, Queen Bee flicked out a small yellow orb with a point at the end which looked almost like a small wingless bumble bee. "I have this thing, but I don't really know how it works. Abeille told me to swing it out from my hand." The hand shot forward whipping the white cord to its full length. The yellow ball dropped helplessly to the ground.

Volpina roared with laughter as her miraculous sounded a fourth beep. Ladybug clicked her tongue, glancing at Volpina's necklace. "You need to go," she said matter-of-factly, pushing the orange back toward the exit. "Get somewhere you can transform and then get home and take care of your kwami. Tonight, if you want to meet again, I'll be at the Eiffel Tower at midnight."

"Fine, good luck figuring out your powers, baby bee," Volpina called from over her shoulder, sinking toward the ground like a fox waiting to pounce, "I'll see you tonight, LB." She sprang, taking flight and flashing over the side of the stadium.

Yellow and defeated shoulders slumped onto Ladybug's chest. "Why can't I make this thing work?" Queen Bee wailed. "I want to jump around like you do and use my weapon!"

Ladybug looked distressed as she patted the other hero's back. In his constant state of cluelessness when it came to female emotion, Cat Noir shrugged and pretended to run away from them. Ladybug caught him by the tail as he passed her, shaking her head in frustration. "Alright, calm down Queen Bee, maybe there is some type of call you have to do to make it work? I have to use the words lucky charm, Cat Noir uses cataclysm, and although you didn't see it, Volpina has to make a musical command with her flute. Can you remember what your kwami said?" She was working very hard to hide her repulsion as Queen Bee sniffled against her chest.

"Oh, you're right, I'm sorry this is really overwhelming!" Queen Bee stepped back, wiping her nose on the back of her glove. "It's a call, let me think." She stood quietly mouthing words to her feet as Ladybug and Cat Noir exchanged confused glances. "Oh! I know! Wait, no that's not right…" Queen Bee was muttering to herself walking in a circle.

Glances exchanged between Ladybug and Cat Noir, her acknowledging his dislike of standing soaked in the remaining gently falling rain, and his acknowledging her silent request for patience. They had started together, both new and without other humans to guide them.

"I got it!" Queen Bee unnecessarily yelled from two feet away from them. "Let me try again." Her face scrunched tight as she gripped the little yellow ball in her dominant hand, pulling her arm back beyond her waist.

Leaning into Ladybug's ear, Cat Noir whispered, "if it always takes this long, we'll be dead in battle before she can throw that thing." Ladybug rolled her eyes and nudged him away with her elbow, as much out of a need to put distance between their bodies as it was out of annoyance.

"Heart Chakra!" Queen Bee cried, releasing her arm to a full extension as the white line buzzed through the air. As the small round tip reached the end of its rope, the buzzing sound echoed through the stadium. Bright white lights erupted from the end, emitting their own buzzing sounds as they raced forward into the air. Without warning, all three lights changed direction and separated, buzzing directly toward each of the heroes standing frozen on the field.

"What the heck?" Cat Noir grabbed Ladybug, twisting her behind him in an effort to protect her. Swinging his bow, he attempted to knock two white bulbs away. Unfazed by his actions, the white lights moved through his bow as if it didn't exist and straight into his chest. The second one flitted around him, connecting with Ladybug in the side as it quickly disappeared.

Straightening up, Ladybug felt a lightness that she couldn't describe. It was as if the physical fatigue had lifted from her body for the first time in months. Spinning on her heels, she looked in amazement at Queen Bee. "What exactly was that?"

Slowly winding the trumpo back into her palm, Queen Bee shrugged. "My power is more passive than everyone else's, I guess. It is supposed to heal your heart or your soul or something. I can't remember everything right now, there was a lot of information, you know!" She visibly jumped when the hair comb tucked into her pony tail began to beep.

"When the beeping starts, each beep counts down a minute until your transformation." Ladybug didn't need to remind Volpina of this fact, since Alya had studied Ladybug and Cat Noir for long enough to know exactly how the transformation worked. There was an active concern bombarding her brain that Queen Bee would not remember this detail. "You only have five minutes to get somewhere safe to transform."

"Can I meet you at midnight?"

Queen Bee looked so hopeful that there was no way Ladybug could deny the request. "Sure, Eiffel Tower, midnight. Try using your weapon to help you move around the city, like I do. I can give you some lessons tonight." Although she should have anticipated it, Ladybug was completely caught off guard when Queen Bee once again threw her arms around Ladybug's waist.

"See you tonight!" Queen Bee squealed as she ran out of the stadium presumably to the driver she had left waiting in the parking lot.

Ladybug turned a cautious eye to Cat Noir who hadn't spoken since the ball of light as struck his chest. His gaping mouth and hand sprawled on his chest had her rushing to examine his face. "She didn't hurt you, did she?" She skimmed his cheeks with her fingers begging him to react.

"That was really weird," he finally whispered, "it was like getting hit with a ball of hope. My heart felt all fluttery and for a brief second I had to restrain myself from shouting declarations of love. Is that what happened to you?" His green eyes shined with curiosity, while his free hand reached up to scratch the back of his head.

"No, but maybe that is because you were protecting me so it caught me on my side instead of my chest? It felt more like all the weariness in my body was fading away. Not a bad feeling overall, but it is already starting to wear off." She caught him as he stumbled forward, concern still knitting her brow together in a deep line.

"I love you, you know that, right? Not just Cat Noir to Ladybug, but real me to real you, okay?" Cat Noir put his forehead against hers in a quiet moment letting his truth hang between them.

Bearing down on her jaw, Ladybug pushed back her tears, "I love you too, you silly cat."

They stayed together forehead to forehead until the rain began to fall in angry waves driving them out of the stadium and to their separate homes.

* * *

Cat Noir landed in Adrien's bathroom, immediately transforming and moving to the shower with lightning speed. His skin was cold and shivering from the rain, but his heart burned in his chest from the joint effects of Queen Bee's energy ball and Ladybug's words. He was murmuring to himself about their exchange, too happy to hear Plagg loudly complaining about puppy love. Stepping into the shower, he repressed the urge to sing loudly. As he dumped soap on his head, a loud knock came at his door.

"Adrien," Nathalie's voice carried through the vast bathroom, "when you are finished, your father would like a word with you."

His good mood deflated faster than a latex balloon losing a fight with a pin needle. The rest of his shower was filled with muttering of a different nature, his frustration seeping out of him with every hard scrub. When he stepped out of the bathroom to change, Plagg pulled an ugly face at him. "What were you trying to do, kid? Rub all your skin off?"

Adrien was quickly alarmed by the bright red nature of his chest and arms. Grabbing a long hoodie from his closet and clean jeans, he did the best he could to hide the damage he had accidentally done to his own body.

"Good luck out there," Plagg whispered, not a hint of joking or sarcasm in his words. Even the spicy black kwami couldn't bring himself to joke about Gabriel Agreste's lack of affection for his son.

Most death marches moved faster than the speed at which Adrien moved through the expansive house. When he finally located his father, standing inside the large dining room, Adrien was unable to hide his confusion regarding the young man standing next to his rigid parental unit.

"Ah, Adrien," his father didn't not move to touch him and Adrien hadn't expected him to, "you recall Matteo, correct?" A stiff but elegant hand was extended toward the boy standing next to his father. Matteo Guitterez had a clean swoop of reddish brown hair and hazel eyes that changed color in the sunlight. He was several inches taller than Adrien, and despite Adrien's constant superhero antics, the other boy had much more obvious muscle mass, although from a distance he would still appear model slim.

"Yes," Adrien stated flatly, reaching a hand to shake the perfectly sculpted seventeen year old hand that was waiting for him, "nice to see you again." The only response from the other boy was a small nod of acknowledgement.

"Matteo is going to be modeling for my next campaign since you seem so busy recently," the disapproval of Adrien's social life oozed from his father's statement, "and since he doesn't have family in Paris, he will be living here with us. I expect you to be the perfect host, am I clear?" His father didn't wait for a response before turning his back on Adrien. "Now, Matteo, let's get you settled in."

A call for Nathalie did not come. Adrien watched as his father placed an arm around Matteo's shoulders, walking from the room together as his father explained each room of the house and where Matteo's room would be. Adrien was left to stand alone under the painting of him, his mother, and his father.

All of the happiness he had felt standing in the middle of the water-drenched field had disappeared from his body, once again replaced by the dull ache of something missing.

* * *

 **I also drove myself crazy over the call for Queen Bee's power, trying to find something that would embody what her power is doing. I settled on "heart chakra" because I read that a bee's honeycomb can sometimes be interrupted as a symbol of the heart chakra. The heart chakra is the fourth primary chakra and some of it's native translations mean "unhurt, unstruck, and unbeaten." This spoke to what Queen Bee's powers can do. It is probably more than a little cheesy, but heck, so am I!**


	10. Chapter 10

**It seems that getting through the hurdle of posting the introduction of Volpina and Queen Bee has released some pressure and the words are flowing from my brain with little to no control. The climax to this story is right around the corner and I cannot wait to take you on the rest of the ride with me!**

 **Thank you again to everyone who has supported this and shared their own ideas with me. The best part (to me) about fandoms is the freedom to share our own opinions loudly and proudly while patting each other on the backs for any and all contributions. You guys are wonderful!**

* * *

It was 1AM and the headache throbbing in her temples was causing her to feel nauseous. As Marinette, she had experienced countless hours of playing watch-me-do-this when babysitting Manon, and had playfully acknowledged some of the same behavior in Cat Noir when she was dressed as Ladybug. Neither of those situations compared to the level of her attention required by the two newest miraculous holders. A full hour had passed as Ladybug had worked her way slowly up and down the rafters of the Eiffel Tower, guiding Queen Bee with each step, flinging out a hand or her yo-yo to catch the stripped heroine every time she missed her mark with her trumpo. Although the progress was slow, and hindered by the constant sarcastic input of the new orange heroine, Ladybug had to give credit to Queen Bee for the work she was putting in. Even if Chloe remained insufferable outside of the mask, Ladybug would have a hard time holding the same disdain for her. Volpina on the other was quickly testing Ladybug's nerves to an extent she didn't think possible from Alya.

Swinging quietly away from the other heroines who were deep into some new disagreement, Ladybug landed on the edge of the observation deck. Cat Noir had not shown up this evening and her stomach wouldn't let any of the excuses she was making ease its stormy upset. For what seemed the millionth time she repeated all of the reasons in her head that he could have missed patrol, the most likely of those reasons being the arguing figures below her. Still, her mind and body wouldn't settle. She knew her partner well enough to know that he wouldn't leave her to tackle this job alone and for that reason alone the worry stayed wrapped around her heart and sloshing in her stomach.

"What are you doing up there?" Volpina called, flashing up to the observation deck without waiting for an answer. Queen Bee nervously followed, landing unsteadily on her feet, but making the two story jump all on her own. Ladybug didn't hide her surprise or her joy from her face.

"Ladies, you have both worked hard tonight," Ladybug brought herself to stand in front of them, "let's get some rest. On the chance that there is an akuma attack tomorrow, we need to be well-rested."

Volpina twirled her flute in her dominant hand. "It would nice if we were all prepared too." Her glance to Queen Bee was venomous in nature.

The worry and headache pounded through Ladybug and she wasn't prepared to referee another bickering match. "Everyone learns at their own pace. The best thing we can do is support one another. When Cat Noir and I started out, we were a mess. If you need evidence, look back over the ever-popular Ladyblog." Ladybug knew mentioning the blog would catch Volpina's attention and possibly knock her off her cocky game. "No one is perfect at first." Masked blue eyes met orange masked hazel eyes in an even stare. The message conveyed seemed to land, as Volpina had enough sense to hang her head and nod slightly.

"So do we hug or something?" Queen Bee piped up, looking ready to pounce forward toward her leader.

Ladybug chuckled. "I guess we'll figure something out. For now, let's have each of you practice your transformation powers once. As soon as you have completed your power, head straight home so you can transform there. If there is anything I learned, it is that even Paris can be ugly in the late hours of the night."

"By all means," Volpina waved her hand at Queen Bee, who squeaked in response.

Smiling, Ladybug nodded to Queen Bee to encourage her. She watched as QB swallowed hard and sighed deeply before unleashing her trumpo. The buzzing sound was stunning against the metal of the tower. As three lights exploded into the air, Volpina swung out trying to block herself when rushed. Her efforts were fruitless as the small bright ball struck her in the shoulder. Without hesitation, Ladybug let the light hit her full on in the chest, praying for the relief Cat Noir had described earlier in the day.

Instead, she felt an intense shock and an irresistible pull toward her boyfriend. It was as if her heart was clinging to him from a distance, attempting to absorb whatever pain he was currently feeling. It was impossible to wrap her mind around what she was feeling and she vowed to immediately seek Master Fu for explanation after school the following day. It wasn't until she registered the weight of Queen Bee's arm around her shoulders that Ladybug realized she had doubled over holding her chest.

"I'm sorry! It isn't supposed to hurt! Abeille said it has different effects on everyone, depending on which part of them needs to be healed or protected." Queen Bee was crying onto Ladybug's left shoulder, "I'll never forgive myself if I hurt you!"

For her part, Volpina had yet to move from her position by the wall. Her facial expression was glazed but unharmed. "That's some power, Queen Bee." All of the sarcasm had disappeared from her voice, leaving behind only solemn acceptance of equality. "Maybe hugging wouldn't be so bad." Stepping toward her teammates, Volpina wrapped an arm around Queen Bee's waist and Ladybug's shoulders. It was an awkward group hug, but it broke the mood causing all three of them to laugh nervously.

The beep in the middle of the tangle of arms made them all startle. "Oh!" Queen Bee exclaimed, hand flitting to her comb, "I need to go!" Looking wearily over the side of the observation deck, she backed up to the stairwell. "I'm going to run down a few stories before I try to swing away. I'm improving, but I don't need to die on the sidewalk on my first day." The easy joking was out of character for the girl behind the black mask and Ladybug felt her lips twitch into a smile.

Volpina was nervously twirling her flute between her hands, moving to the edge of the observation deck. "What about something more cheerful? If I can get it right." Ladybug saw the pinch of Volpina's tongue between her teeth as flexed arms brought the flute to her lips. The missed notes were still plaguing the song, but within seconds the energy ball had appeared at the end of the flute. Gathering it gingerly, Volpina threw it into the air like an outfielder launching a baseball to home plate. Fireworks exploded in the air, a silent display of colored lights. Frowning, Volpina looked over her shoulder at Ladybug, "I was aiming for a rainbow."

Ladybug let the giggle escape her lips. "I like the fireworks though, you'll get the hang of it. Sometimes magic has a mind of its own. I don't control my lucky charm and I have to deal with whatever it lands in my arms. Once it dropped a spotlight out of the sky." Her giggles increased at the incredulous look on Volpina's face.

"Thanks," Volpina whispered over her shoulder, "for everything. You've been my idol for a long time, I'll make you proud, I promise."

Before Ladybug could respond, Volpina had flashed over the side of the railing. She watched as the orange flashes darted over Paris until they were out of her sight. Mentally kicking herself for being frustrated with Volpina (and Alya), Ladybug was struck with the realization that Volpina would feel the most pressure to be perfect from the very beginning. Alya had spent years observing and studying every superhero, it was no wonder she assumed that being a superhero would be a breeze for her. Ladybug had almost quit under the pressure of becoming the hero of Paris and she never expected to be perfect, the exact opposite in fact. If she wanted Volpina to cut Queen Bee some slack, Ladybug was going to have to cut Volpina some as well.

The tug in her chest brought her back to the cold platform under her feet. Somewhere her love and her partner was hurting. Jumping with purpose from the platform, she pushed herself to her physical limit rushing to the large windows of a familiar room. It pushed open easily, as he never locked the window designed to allow her access to him at any time. It had been this way for as long as she could remember, even before he knew who she was behind the mask. Ladybug could always enter Adrien's room without fear of a locked window.

Her feet sunk into deep lush carpet, eyes adjusting to the dark. The mop of yellow hair was splayed over a white pillow, breath unsteady and a small grimace marking Adrien's perfect face. Stepping toward him, Ladybug almost screamed when a black figure flew into her face. "He had a bad night!" Plagg whispered fiercely in her face, "don't be mad at him for not showing up!" The tightness in her chest eased as she cradled the defensive kwami to her. "Not fair," he pouted into her chest, snuggling in, "I can't resist this." His little head settled near her heart as his whole body sighed against her.

Sympathy washed over her when she realized that he was exhausted from watching over his friend. "What happened?" She placed small kisses on his head, running a singular finger over his little back the way Tikki liked having her back rubbed.

"I don't really know," Plagg winced in frustration, "he went to speak with his father and when he came back, he crawled into bed and didn't say another word. He wouldn't even fight with me." An audible sniffle lifted from the tiny body. Plagg might have a tough, snarky exterior, but his love for Adrien was very real.

Cooing quietly, she continued to stroke the small black back. She began to rock, humming softly to slow her own heartbeat. The tiny body relaxed into her and she held him until she knew Plagg was soundly asleep. Moving carefully, she located Plagg's bed and moved it to the foot of Adrien's bed, carefully placing the sleeping kwami on his pillow. She tucked a small blanket around him and kissed his head. A hand on her wrist startled her and she had to stifle another scream.

"You're here?" Adrien whispered, only one eye open. "That was sweet what you did for him." His voice was soft, conveying so many emotions that Ladybug felt her own heart rip at the seams. Climbing behind him on the bed, she eased down behind his head, welcoming his warm from sleep upper body onto her lap. "I don't want to talk about it," Adrien muttered into her thigh.

"You don't have to," she whispered, running her hand through his hair, "sleep, I'll stay with you until you look peaceful."

"Will you sing?" his voice was heavy with sleep, his muscles in his back relaxing as she ran her free hand over his shoulder blades.

In the dark he missed the fire red blush on her cheeks. Tucking her embarrassment away, determined to put his needs before hers as he had so often done for her, she began to sing. They had kissed and held hands, but nothing felt quite as intimate as the comforting contact between them now. As the weight of his body increased, the weight in her heart lifted. The crease in his forward disappeared as he slipped into dreamless sleep with a hint of a smile on his face.

She slipped away in the early hours of the morning, knowing Tikki would need rest before the day. Leaving a note on his bedside dresser, she pressed a grazing kiss to his temple, whispering _I love you_ as she escaped into the quickly lighting skyline.


	11. Chapter 11

**Sometimes as a writer, you have to care enough about your character's development to let them get hurt, even when it kills you to do so.**

 **Here we go...**

* * *

The bell rang as Marinette flew into the classroom, her damp hair hanging loose against the back of her neck and sticking to her forehead. She stumbled blindly toward her seat, sleep still blurring her vision as she moved up the stairs. Throwing herself down, she screamed in earnest as her legs connected with a lap instead of the expected wood bench.

Strong arms circled her waist, catching her before she could fall forward into the aisle. "Good morning, girlfriend," Adrien chirped kissing her nose. The red tinge on his ears gave away his nerves, but his face was calm.

The entire classroom filled with a chorus of ohhhhs and awwws as the class reacted to their new relationship status. Marinette buried her burning face into her hands, mumbling a hello from beneath her fingers. Sitting on Adrien's lap in the middle of the bright classroom was much different than cuddling him in hers in the safety of his dark bedroom. She was terrified to release the grip she had on her face, only peeking out when Adrien insistently tugged on her wrists.

"Alya! Come here, baby!" Nino had apparently liked the idea of cuddling in class and attempted to pull Alya onto his own lap. He was rebuffed with a shove to the shoulder from his PDA avoiding girlfriend.

"Ahem," a stern voice echoed from the front of the classroom. "Ms. Dupain-Cheng, could you kindly choose a seat that is not occupied by another student?"

Slivering to the ground and slipping from the classroom was the only plan Marinette could form that would help her escape from the extreme embarrassment as her classmates laughed. "Yes, I'm sorry, madam," she whispered, scooting from Adrien's legs and onto the bench. Barely containing her yelp, as Adrien slid closer to her on the bench, Marinette stared as he slowly pressed his entire leg against hers, letting a quiet hand slip under the desk and onto her knee. Open and flamboyant affection was a Cat Noir thing, not an Adrien thing, and Marinette was struggling to cope with what was occurring. It took her a solid two minutes to realize that the lesson had already begun and her books were still tucked in her bag.

Without Ladybug in his bed this morning, Adrien had woken with the same sullen feeling that he had let hang over his shoulders since he had returned to his room the night before. He had gotten dressed in silence, ignoring all of Plagg's efforts to talk to him. When he had discovered the note she left him, the cloud of despair evaporated and he wanted nothing more than to be close to her. Marinette always made him feel like the world was a better place, simply by existing near him.

He had arrived at school early, walking the entire way from his house and failing to eat breakfast. It had been a fight to convince Alya to switch seats with him and in the end it had been Nino who had stepped in to convince her. The memory of Nino off-key singing All You Need Is Love in a partially filled classroom made him snort down at his paper. His best friend always had his back.

Feeling bold, Adrien began tracing circles around Marinette's knee, heartbeat speeding up when she made a quiet yelp in response. Everything she did was adorable to him and he felt the anger from the night before fade completely from his heart as he pressed closer to her side. He was examining her pink cheeks from under his dropped eyelashes when a formal voice called his love's name from the front of the classroom.

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng," the secretary to the headmaster called, frowning slightly at the scene in front of her, "the headmaster needs to see you."

"Um, uh, okay…" Marinette stuttered out, mind cloudy due to the fingers trailing over the top of her thigh. She felt a slight squeeze before the hand was removed and it was all she could do to keep from trembling as she stood. That much close contact to Adrien was not good for her composure. Paired with her uncontrollable anxiety over what the headmaster could want, Marinette struggled to walk on shaky legs out of the classroom and to the headmaster's office.

Knocking lightly on the door, she waited until her entrance was requested before pushing in. Mr. Damocles sat with his hands folded on his desk, back rigid as was typical for him. Motioning to a chair, he nodded to Marinette to sit without saying the words. "Ms. Dupain-Cheng, please meet Mr. Matteo Guitterez. At the specific request of Mr. Gabriel Agreste, you are to be Mr. Guitterez's guide during his first week of school here. Please make sure he knows where everything is and provide him with any notes he needs to be successful. I trust you can handle this request?"

Marinette blinked at Mr. Damocles in pure confusion. Turning her head slightly, she noted the boy sitting next to her. He was attractive, although not as attractive as Adrien, and had a reserved air to him that immediately made her feel uneasy. "I'm sorry, sir," Marinette shook her head slightly, feeling the hair sweep passed her ears, "new students usually don't have guides, do they?"

"No, they do not," Mr. Damocles sounded equally as irritated and confused about the situation as Marinette did. "Mr. Agreste is insisting on this, however, and he is a very important man, Ms. Dupain-Cheng. You will adhere to the request to not let this young man out of your site."

Sick butterflies settled in her stomach when she noticed the mild smile on the other teenager's face. Marinette generally liked everyone, but something about him made her feel uneasy. She rose at a cautious pace, backing up when Matteo also stood while taking a step toward her. "Shall we?" he spoke French with a heavy Italian accent. Some of the girls would love the way the words flowed from him. For Marinette the way he spoke, combined with the unabashed way he was examining her from head to toe, made her want to run from the office at full Ladybug speed.

"Return to class now," Mr. Damocles was clearly ready for this portion of his day to be over, "make sure Matteo feels welcome." The final statement sounded remarkably like a threat to Marinette's ears.

The hallway was silent except for their footsteps. Matteo was following her closely, so close she could feel his body bump against her elbow with each step. Even with the amount of akumas that had been unleashed in the school, Marinette had never felt unsafe in these hallways until that moment. A bell rang overhead signaling a time for break and Marinette jumped out of her skin, colliding sideways into a locker. To her absolute horror, Matteo instantly leaned an elbow at the adjoining locker, leaning over and into her as the class poured into the hallway.

Adrien was the first out of the door, worried about where his girlfriend had been dragged off to. When he spotted the terrified look on her face and the stranger from his own home pinning her back against the lockers, his blood boiled in a way he never thought possible. Using the speed and agility that he reserved for fighting akumas and fencing opponents, Adrien covered the distance, hauling Matteo off his feet and slamming him back into the locker. "Stay away from her!"

A crowd had gathered in the hallway, whispers firing through their classmates. Nino's mouth gapped open as Alya rushed forward to yank Marinette out of the way.

"My, my Adrien," Matteo clicked his tongue, smiling dangerously down at the blond, "I didn't know you had such a temper. If she had told me she was your girlfriend, I wouldn't have bothered as she obviously doesn't have very good taste."

Adrien never had a chance to respond as a blue head of hair and a blond ponytail knocked him out of the way, taking his place in pinning the obnoxious Italian to the lockers. "You hold him, I'll hit him!" Chloe squealed.

It was debatable what was shocking the crowd of students more, the violence in Adrien or the teamwork taking place between Chloe and Marinette. Unshaken, Matteo leveled his gaze over the shoulders of the girls and straight at Adrien, "your father specially requested Marinette to be my guide for the week, so it looks like her and I are going to become very close, very fast." His large hand jerked to move around Marinette's waist, but she was too quick for him. Leaving the holding up to Chloe, Marinette pulled back and released her fist directly into Matteo's stomach.

Turning on her heel as the boy collapsed to the ground, she grabbed Adrien's wrist yanking him toward the doors of the school. "I don't care what your dad says, we're out of here." She took off at a full sprint, both her purse and schoolbag banging painfully against her sides. Adrien's fingers tightened in hers as he ran beside her.

Bursting through the main doors, they took the steps two at a time, turning left to race off toward the park. Once under the cover of the trees, Marinette sunk onto a nearby bench, yanking Adrien roughly to her. It wasn't until they were wrapped into each other's arms that he let the sobs trapped in his throat free. "He is the worst. He doesn't even love me," Adrien repeated over and over into his girlfriend's chest, tears soaking her shirt as she tried to comfort him. They sat tangled into one another until all of his sobbing had subsided. "Matteo is my dad's new model," Adrien stated frankly, the emotion he had let free with his tears now tucked carefully back underneath his public façade.

"He's awful," Marinette retorted, unsure if she meant Matteo or Adrien's father, knowing it applied to both of them at the moment. "I'm sorry, I didn't want to be anywhere near him, he made me queasy. Mr. Damocles pressed him on me because your father…" she trailed off looking at her hands. Complaining about Adrien's dad to Adrien seemed silly and unneeded.

"UGHHH!" Adrien unleased a yell that erupted from the bottom of his gut, yanking his hair out of place as he did. Out of frustration he pounded a fist on the bench. He hung his head low between his knees, letting Marinette rub the tension out of his back until her phone began to ring from her school bag. Turning his head, he saw the panic smack across her face.

"The school," she whispered, showing him the picture on her phone. On top of the building stood a recognizable figure, despite the outrageous red, green and white outfit. Around him flames had begun to spread. "Tikki!" Marinette called, standing anxiously, "I have to go back, Alya and Chloe aren't ready for this alone."

Adrien nodded. Somehow he found a way to blame his father for the interruption. "I don't think I can fight him without wanting to kill him." Adrien had never had a thought like that in his life and it hung heavy between them. The bright light flashed over him, and Ladybug knelt in front of his face, lifting his chin to meet his eyes. "Did you just transform in broad daylight?" The concern overwhelmed his voice as his brow knitted together.

"Technically, I was behind a tree," Ladybug shrugged sheepishly, gaining a small chuckle from her partner. "I don't blame you for how you feel. I remember when Copy Cat had you trapped. It took everything I had to stay calm when I really wanted to beat the tar out of him."

A small beam of happiness broke through Adrien's heart. "That was a long time ago, Bugaboo." He clung to the feeling, reaching out to grab her face and kissing her completely.

Letting herself be distracted for a few seconds, she pulled away, squeezing his hand. "Stay here, stay safe," Ladybug stood, setting her schoolbag in his lap, "keep apprised on the fight, if it looks like we're losing, you'll have to find a way to fight. We'll help you. Until then…" she stooped toward him, placing a kiss on his hair, "I love you." She was gone as soon as the words had escaped her mouth.

He didn't watch her leave, instead he removed the beaded charm that he carried with him everywhere he went. It had been a gift from Marinette. Toying with the beads in his hands, his mind snapped back to his father. He had emotionally neglected Adrien for over two years, punishing him for his mother's disappearance by leaving Adrien alone to deal with the aftermath. His father left their home at will, leaving Adrien behind with servants as his only companions. After Christmas, when his father seemed genuinely worried that Adrien had been harmed and then welcomed his friends into their home, Adrien had convinced himself that things were going to get better. They never did though. The distance continued to grow between them, the trips out of town for his father becoming longer and longer in length. When he was home, it was rare for Adrien to ever see the man. Then he had brought Matteo home. And Matteo was in his school, pressing himself up against Marinette, all because his father had requested that Marinette be the jerk's handler. Again, his father was driving a wedge between Adrien and his happiness.

His gripped tightened on the beads in his hand, his eyes forcibly shut against the rage that was breaking inside of him. He never noticed the dark purple butterfly as it landed on his most prized possession. When the darkness fell around his brain, his body relaxed into the control. The voice in his head spoke of the pain of being betrayed by his love. Hawkmoth was wrong about the type of love that had been broken inside of him, but he didn't bother to correct the demon voice echoing in his head.

"I don't believe you need a costume," the thought whispered through him as if it consumed his entire being, "show me who you really are, Adrien. Show me what Cat Noir is really capable of."

As he called for his transformation, Plagg shrieked his name, begging him to snap out of it. Black leather boots replaced tennis shoes, cloth replaced by tight fitting leather over the rest of his body. Where green eyes once shone, now only black reflected back onto the world. Tucking his beads into his belt, Cat Noir swung his bow to its full length.

"Good kitty," the voice purred in his head, "now let's go find a bug to squash."


	12. Chapter 12

**Welcome back :) I'm with this story until the end now, no more diverging until I get the rest of this out of my brain and into the world for you all to read.**

 **I apologize for the hiatus here and I will try not to let it happen again.**

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The heat was the first thing she noticed as Ladybug approached the school. The second thing she noticed was that Queen Bee was successfully sneaking students out of the building, while Volpina was taking Matteo head-on. In stunned silence, Ladybug watched as Volpina dodged blows and then landed her own, as if she had been doing it her whole life. It was impressive how hard Volpina was fighting; equally as impressive as Queen Bee's reassuring words as she moved crowds of students away from the fight. Master Fu had completely disregarded their original request to introduce Volpina ahead of Queen Bee, and in that moment she was incredibly glad that he had.

Charging in wasn't an option. Ladybug perched silently above the school examining the hideously detailed Italian flag colored costume. Chalk it up to another akuma for Marinette, she thought somewhat bitterly, watching as the man taunted Volpina. She was struggling to identify where his akuma could be, and struggling even more to figure out what his motives were. He was a complete unknown to her, and while it was a welcome change from the emotional severity of seeing her friends suffer, it didn't help her resolve the situation any faster. Seemingly burning down the school was this akuma's only current interest, and that seemed fueled by nothing but his own desire. As she watched Queen Bee clumsily climb the side of the school, she rolled her shoulders and leapt.

Volpina made a startled sound when her red counterpart landed next to her. "Thank God you're here! I can't figure out where his akuma is!" The frustration in Volpina's voice was mixed with desperation, raising Ladybug's own anxiety. "He is flinging fire! And he keeps talking about how he is the hottest man alive." Volpina swung her flute to knock away the debris that flung towards them. "It is a Cat Noir level of pun, but it isn't cute. He is a nutcase!" Grabbing the cover to the ventilation system, Volpina flung it at Matteo.

"Is he calling himself anything?" Ladybug used her yo-yo to create a wind blocker against the approaching fire.

"The Italian Stallion," the orange superhero stated flatly, "like are you kidding me? For the rest of my life I am going to have to say the first villain I fought was the Italian Stallion. I want to kick his butt for that simple fact alone."

Ladybug smirked. The name was awful, the costume was blinding, and his akumatized skill was the scariest one she had ever seen. "Mr. Stallion has to have an akumatized item on him somewhere, we just have to find it." She narrowed her eyes at him. "Have either of you used your powers yet?"

"No," Volpina huffed, following Ladybug as she ducked through the various structures on the roof. "We didn't know when you would get here and we didn't want to risk being alone against him."

"Got it," Ladybug was proud of their sharp thinking, "time to use your illusion though." She moved until she was in place, signaling Queen Bee to join them. Once the yellow and black heroine came skidding to their side, disheveled and breathing hard, Ladybug spelled out her plan. "I want you to project an image of Marinette, as far across this roof as possible, but where he can still see it." There were questions flashing in Volpina's eyes, but she left them unasked. "I'm going to sneak over there and I'll try to grab his feet with my yo-yo."

"What's she going to do?" Volpina jerked her thumb toward Queen Bee, who in turn pouted.

"Queen Bee, when I trip him up, we are all three going to rush him and identify the akuma as fast as possible." Grabbing Queen Bee's shoulder, Ladybug intently stared at her until Queen Bee focused completely on her face. "Do not use your power. When Cat Noir gets here, we will protect you long enough to give you the room to use the line. I know that Cat's heart could use the healing so maybe we can extend the same courtesy to his emotional well-being." Ladybug swallowed her apprehension. Fighting this akuma, even with his terrible name, wasn't going to involve any laughter. She had two teammates with her, but she was missing the one she really needed by her side. Her chest ached thinking about the sorrow shed through Adrien's tears.

"You girls will be my fan club, yes?" His accent had been thickly Italian as a civilian. Now it was exaggerated, making him sound like a vocal caricature of himself. "Come out, girls, feel my heat."

They looked at each other, the looks of disgust on each face making the other ones giggle. The sound agitated the brightly colored villain, causing him to shriek from his position on the roof. For a reason unknown to them, this caused their laughter to increase. He was dangerous, but he was also completely ridiculous and somehow that was helping them to overcome their joint fear. "Are you ready?" Ladybug looked at them both, returning their nods.

Volpina moved first, flashing to the other side of the building where her flute song rang strong. A flick of her hand had the shape of Marinette appearing next to her, waving her hand. It was a surreal sight for Ladybug, one she would have concentrated harder on if it wasn't for the overwhelming heat escaping the flames rising around her. "Queen Bee! Let's go!" They rushed the Italian Stallion as Volpina ran full speed from the other side of the roof. Ladybug surveyed him as she ran, noting the glistening watch on his wrist. It was the only part of him that wasn't painted in bright green and red. "Watch!" she screamed, her voice barely carrying over the roar of the flames as they all ran straight through the fiery wall.

Ladybug struck first, her yo-yo tangling the green legs, snapping them together. Volpina had the second strike, lashing the shiny red back with her flute, knocking the villain forward onto his face. As he fell, Queen Bee yanked the watch from his wrist, throwing it against the ground with all her strength. The purple butterfly flew into the air, instantly caught by Ladybug and cleansed.

The flames continued to wash over the roof of the school, bright tongues beginning to flick over the sides. "Ladybug!" Queen Bee shouted, flailing her arms, "you have to get rid of the fire!"

She froze. In the midst of battle, Ladybug hadn't needed her lucky charm and she was at a loss as to how to remedy the spoils of battle without it. While the panic settled into her, she heard a gasp escape both of her teammates as a new set of feet landed on the roof.

"Did you miss me?" The voice was unmistakably Cat Noir's, but it ran with an icy chill down her back. Turning in slow motion, Ladybug saw in horror as Cat Noir used his stick to lift the drooping body of Matteo and fling it from the roof. "I warned you I wanted to kill that guy."

The flash of orange appeared on her periphery, taking her a second to realize that Volpina had successfully prevented Matteo from becoming a boy pancake on the sidewalk. Even as the fire grew hotter around them, Ladybug couldn't tear her eyes from Cat Noir. He looked exactly as he always did, but instead of the green eyes she had grown to love, there was only black. A darkened charm hung from his belt, it hit her heart hard to know that Hawkmoth had chosen her own lucky charm to akumatize Adrien. All of her wanted to run to him, to throw her arms around him and kiss him until the pain disappeared and took the akuma with it. Her feet were rooted to the ground, knowing she couldn't help him now without fighting him.

"Ladybug!" It was Volpina's turn to scream. "I'm going to change back, what should I do?" Queen Bee and Volpina crashed together behind her back, both clinging to her sides. Cat Noir stood casually in front of them swinging his bow, smirking through dead eyes. The purple mask appeared momentarily over his face, causing him to snarl.

"I need you to hold him off," Ladybug whispered, knowing he was listening to the voice inside of his head as long as the mask floated over his face. "Volpina, you create a barrier with your flute, swing it the way Cat Noir is swinging his bow, but faster." Red shoulders shifted slightly, angling herself between her two teammates. "Queen Bee, as soon as I am out of sight, release your heart chakra. I don't know if it will heal him, but it might slow him down. Then both of you get out of here. Find some place to transform and feed your kwamis. Keep everyone away from the school, call the authorities for help containing the fire for now. I'll find a way to stop it and repair everything," she glanced at the worried faces, "I promise."

"Enough of the cat chat, ladies," Cat Noir stooped into his fighting position. "Let's see what you got newbies. Think you have what it takes to handle Ladybug's number one protector?" The purple mask appeared over his face again and he shook his head, looking like a cat with irritated ears.

"Good luck," Ladybug called, launching herself from the building without ever looking back. It was time to trust her new teammates. They had held off the ridiculous Italian Stallion and gotten the students to safety; they could certainly hold Cat Noir off for a few minutes to give her a head start. Her last view of the roof was Volpina exchanging blows with Cat Noir, giving Queen Bee the space to throw her trumpo. As the bright balls of light struck their targets, she registered a single word over the crackling of the fire. Her civilian name escaped Cat Noir's mouth, sounding like a plea to end his suffering. The remainder of her heart shattered entirely in her chest leaving behind an unbearable agony. Pushing forward was the only option now, the only way she could fix this for all of them.

She threw herself through Paris, moving to her desired location without conscious thought. It was second nature to her, moving over the rooftops toward this address. Ladybug saw the high windows, the one still cracked as she always knew it to be. Swinging to the right, moving south around the house, she spied the octagon shaped opening in the glass. With a final swing, she flipped through the opening, landing crouched on the floor. The sound of hundreds of fluttering wings assaulted her ears, rising around her like impending doom.


	13. Chapter 13

**So it begins... although I have decided this story is far from over :).**

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Bright lights danced around her, flying passed her shoulders, grazing the air around her with their gentle beats. In their purest form, akumas were a thing of beauty, bringing a sense of peace to the room. In their dark form, however, they were the bane of her existence, bringers of pain and strife. Breathing deeply, failing to bury her fear completely, Ladybug leveled her gaze on the tall figure standing picturesque in front of her. He was tall, impeccably dressed, and dripping with an aura of pure evil. Hawkmoth was everything she had expected him to be, right down to the stick straight back and venomous sneer.

"Ladybug," the voice growled a few feet in front of her, "so nice to finally meet you. Have you come to be destroyed? Or do you want to make it easy and surrender your miraculous now?" As if he was inpatient for combat to begin, Hawkmoth swung his cane, striking it against the tiled floor. The sound left a sickening ring in Ladybug's ears.

Rising to her full height, back straight, arms bent in preparation for a fight, Ladybug finally faced the cowardly man they had been fighting for two years. "I believe you are mistaken," she whispered, not letting herself turn when she heard the sound of leather feet hitting the ground behind her, "it is not me who will be giving up my miraculous today." Her eyes never left the figure in the middle of the room as he struck out at her with his cane. Her spinning yo-yo met every strike with a loud snap, allowing her to advance on Hawkmoth. She backed him across the room, blocking his blows, while leveling well-timed strikes of her own. _Hawkmoth is showing his age_ , she quirked internally, trying to suppress the cockiness rising within her as she forced the villain further from her partner. The whimper that escaped the black cat gave her pause, instantly pulling her attention toward him; an unfortunate mistake as Hawkmoth struck her hard on the thigh. Pain spread quickly, vibrating through her leg like an electric shock. Willing herself to accept it, she balled her fist against the muscle, squeezing it into numbness. Pushing from the wall, she advanced again striking back against the slender legs, concentrating harder on the task at hand. The heartbeat was slamming in her chest as they danced in conflict, no longer able to spare a glance at Cat Noir to know whether he would be a friend or a foe in this fight.

"I should have known you would have come with the boy being the one affected," the taller form sneered as he backed up. "If I had known what a lure he would be, I would have used him sooner. I'm almost surprised it wasn't your form he took, considering what a fan of _you_ he is."

Ladybug felt the sickness sink into her stomach. It was, of course, her worst fear come to life. "There is that much evil and hate inside of you that you would go after someone so pure? Wait until my real partner gets here. Together, Cat Noir and I are unstoppable." The lie was necessary, she couldn't be sure what had been discovered inside of Adrien's mind.

"And the new heroes?" He smirked, expertly wielding his walking stick against her, "that was certainly a surprise. You are full of wonder, aren't you Ladybug? Too bad that won't protect you now!"

"I don't need protection from you," she spat, landing a blow on his side, "a man who plays with butterflies, how _scary_." The sarcasm in her voice was as much a defense mechanism as it was a weapon.

His head was screaming. Cat Noir had felt the strike of Queen Bee's power and it had ripped open his chest, the anger controlled by Hawkmoth resisting the healing power of Queen Bee. He had screamed for her, for Marinette, begging her to save him from the suffering, but she never came. The sadness and need welled inside of him, bringing him to his knees on the roof. Then, for a brief instant, he had seen through Hawkmoth's eyes, watching helplessly as his love landed in the middle of the dark room, facing their greatest enemy alone. Hawkmoth had been distracted long enough by Ladybug's presence that Cat Noir had felt the man's control falter, allowing him the chance to make his move. Flinging himself recklessly over the rooftops, he dove through the same opening Ladybug had sailed through minutes before. Her voice had been calm when she spoke, the edge on it equal parts comforting and terrifying. Now, she bantered as she threw countless strikes against their enemy, playfully mocking the other man. As they fought, Cat Noir once again found himself on his knees, sobbing against the power trying to heal him and the force of the fury battling against it. Pulling his bow from his back, he tried to use it to steady himself, lifting his head as a flood of clashing weapons moved toward him.

 _This wasn't the plan_ , Ladybug shouted in her head. Briefly taken again by the image of Cat Noir weeping into the tiles, Ladybug was knocked off her feet by the swift blow of Hawkmoth's weapon. Her back slammed into the ground, knocking the air from her lungs as he advanced on her. Recalling her training with Master Fu, she angled her hips, counting the approaching evil's steps. When he was close enough she lashed out, striking both of his knees with her feet. Caught off guard, Hawkmoth propelled backward, crashing head long into the far wall with a sickening thud.

There was a pause, a heavy silence hanging in the room, all three of them exhausted from their individual struggles, Hawkmoth barely conscious against the wall. The tension built as the seconds passed, Ladybug intermittently shifting her gaze from villain to partner, waiting to see who would move first. She slowly stood in her place, charting the room and her next move. Her breath hitched as she spun her red weapon.

Her yo-yo swung behind her, snagging Cat Noir's bow from his hands and throwing it through the handles of the large door at the end of the room. Moving quickly, she dodged the feeble strike of Hawkmoth's cane, fighting back against him with a resounding flick of her yo-yo. Distraction mixed with his new head injury, the villain began to lose all of his control over Cat Noir, giving Ladybug the opportunity that she needed. As she bounced off the wall avoiding another mild slash of Hawkmoth's cane, she saw the glint of green reappear in his eyes.

He reached for her, black and green swirling in the holes behind his mask, causing her to feel hypnotized by the beauty of it. The sound escaping him, a wordless cry for help, brought her to her knees bracing the shaking mass of him to her chest. She whispered in his ear, reassuring him that it would all be over soon, leaving the trail of kisses that she had so desperately denied on the roof of the school. Perspiration poured from his forehead, glistening her shoulder as he dropped his weight there. "The plan, my sweet kitty," she wiped the bangs from his head keeping her voice low, "can you go on?"

Silently he nodded, slipping the charm from his belt buckle and looping it over the string to her yo-yo. The action was hidden between the closeness of their bodies, his fingers trembling at her side from the internal struggle he was still tackling. Across the room, Hawkmoth groaned in the effort to lift his body from the wall. "It is now or never, my love," she whispered it into his ear, placing a small kiss at his temple. Leaning heavily on her, Cat Noir stood, breathing deeply, eyes more green than black now that the charm had left his side.

His strangled cry for cataclysm vibrated in the glassed room, striking her ears. Grabbing his wrist with her faithful string she flung him in a circle, crashing his destructive hand into a series of cameras secured at the seam between the wall and the ceiling. They made a hissing sound as they dissolved. She let him drop on the ground, near the barricaded doors. Sprinting toward him she smashed the charm, simultaneously removing his ring from his finger and slipping it on her own. As he transformed, Plagg hid under the pillow underneath Adrien's knees.

Her lucky charm call brought flashing lights into the room as she prayed that it would bring her exactly what she needed. As the dummy in black leather landed heavily on the ground, Ladybug thanked every lucky bug in the world that Master Fu was right. He had told her in the early hours of that morning that if she focused hard enough, there would be a chance for her to control her lucky charm. As she starred down at the lifeless dummy, mocking her partner's form, she was struck dumb by the new feeling of power. She barely registered when the black cat flew from his hiding place, tucking himself into the folds of leather.

"We don't have much time." His bow had disappeared when his transformation had passed, leaving the doors open to intrusion. Breathing heavily, Adrien rose, twisting himself to look at Hawkmoth. "Hello, father," he remarked without humor, the pain of the statement reflected over his face.

Hawkmoth slumped against the wall, his frame collapsing toward his navel, an arm wrapped around his stomach. Even in the echo of the room, Hawkmoth's words were barely audible.

"Did it look real?"


	14. Chapter 14

**This is looooonnnnggggg! (I'm sorry)**

 **Please don't delve too deep into the poetry part. Cheesy, rhyming poetry is** ** _NOT_** **my thing so that was the hardest part to keep in line with the way the characters write it in the show. Please know that how bad the poem is doesn't affect the story!**

 **Next update won't be until next weekend, but I didn't want to leave the series of cliffhangers open for a whole week :).**

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The question hung in the room unanswered, none of them confident enough to vocalize an opinion. Ladybug's thoughts flashed back to the night before as she braced her back against the doors. _The sound of footsteps caused her to sit up, shifting Adrien's sleeping weight to the edge of her lap, ready to flee. "I know you're in there," the deep voice was hushed through Adrien's heavy bedroom doors, causing her to strain to hear every word. "I know you are there to protect him. I know you will always protect him." There was silence and she had assumed he was gone, confusion clouding her mind when the voice came again. "You know who I am, you are smart enough to put the pieces together. And you know where to find me, you have subconsciously observed it every time you have snuck in the window he leaves open for you. If you come for me, I will fight merely to put on a show, not to injure. Tomorrow, I will be forced to come after him. I am no longer the master of my destiny. Save him. That is my only request of you."_ The voice had disappeared after that and Ladybug had spent the remainder of her time in Adrien's room alternating between panicking and formulating a plan. She had left him a note, praying that he would understand what she was saying without the requirement of specifics. His overt affection in school that morning had told her that he had.

Adrien lurched against the other door, snaking a hand to intertwine with the red gloved one. Uncaring about his father's existence, Adrien leaned to kiss Ladybug on the cheek. As he did so, her poem, left discreetly by his bedside like a love note, floated back to him.

 _In the night we met, in love we fell_

 _Together, we will always fight_

 _But when an evil bug puts you under a spell_

 _A new story we must write_

 _In an atrium, familiar and close_

 _Is one you loved the most_

 _An evil who has lost control_

 _His heart is broken, no longer whole_

 _So trust me dear, to keep you safe_

 _An evil path you must take_

 _Follow me where I will lead_

 _To reverse his past mistake_

 _And if you understand my words_

 _Please dear, show me in a way_

 _That gives us all the happiness_

 _That we fight for everyday_

At the very bottom of the note, and because she must not have trusted his deduction skills, she had written _Bright costumes + Control Issues + GA = HM_. Plagg reading over his shoulder had been the one to decipher the code, poking fun at Adrien for being clueless. In the same way that he had felt the pieces click together in his mind when he had seen Marinette as Ladybug, all of the scattered pieces regarding Hawkmoth's identity had locked together. The bitterness had returned knowing that he had been fighting his own father, replaced quickly with the potential hope that their fight was almost over. When Plagg had tugged on his hair, pointing out that the blond was going to be akumitized by said father, Adrien had to quickly remove himself from the house before finding the man and punching him in the nose.

In their race from the school to the bench where Adrien had his complete and utter meltdown, Marinette had shouted the details of their plan; a plan she hoped would protect Adrien and maybe save his father. It was hard to recapture the negative feelings, especially knowing how much she cared about him, but he had forced them back up on the surface long enough to propel the evil butterfly his way. Now he stood, holding her hand like it was the only thing that would anchor him in this world, the pain coursing through his body in indescribable waves.

The Agreste men stood before her, one masked, one not, both desperately needing her help. In all the time she had been Ladybug she had never felt more needed or more useless. Squeezing Adrien's hand, she jumped when her miraculous beeped. "I think we pulled it off. Are you sure it is safe to leave Adrien here?" Her worried glances between the two men tried to interpret their silent conversation. "How much time do we have?"

"The time started counting down as soon as you destroyed those cameras." Hawkmoth paused listening for footsteps. "You will need to leave us both barely conscious." His eyes were level even as his voice shook. "You'll have to strip me of my miraculous."

"Can you act knocked out?" It was Adrien's turn to garnish her full attention. There were so many questions Ladybug wanted to ask Hawkmoth, but there wasn't enough guaranteed time. Her job was to create doubt about Adrien's role as a superhero, hopefully gaining him protection so she could get him away from the Agreste household.

"Is there another option?" Adrien slid to the floor, his body fatigued and sick. He knew his father was under the mask, but the thought was making him dizzy. It was not a struggle for him to appear close to unconsciousness.

"She could punch you," Plagg mumbled from his hiding place, causing both Adrien and Ladybug to smirk. "Or I can!"

"Leave it to you to make a joke at a time like this!" Adrien hissed.

Approaching footsteps had them all springing into action. Ladybug kissed Adrien on his head, snagging the heavy dummy from the floor with Plagg safely tucked into the leather belt. Approaching Hawkmoth, she stooped down to look him square in the face. "Get Adrien to his room as soon as I am out of here. I will be back for him." Reaching forward, she grabbed the miraculous from his shirt as a purple blur flew passed her elbow, joining his counterpart in the belt of the leather dummy. Ladybug hooked the miraculous into her suit, hesitating a mere inch from Hawkmoth's face.

"This may be my only opportunity to say this, so listen closely. Adrien's mother is out there, and she is not safe either, you need to find her." Eyes moving from Ladybug's face to her fist, Gabriel cleared his throat, "One good punch should do it." Gabriel Agreste spoke calmly, despite the confused noises coming from Adrien.

Without any further hesitation, Ladybug drew back and punched him, directly in the nose. Raising up, she did not look at Adrien fearing what she emotion she would see on his face. The fourth beep sounded from her earring, and she braced herself on the ledge, praying there was enough time left for the most important piece of the plan.

The heavy doors were flung open, a hurried Nathalie came crashing through them. "I heard a commotion but when I checked the cameras in this area, they were out. I came as soon as I could! What happened in here?" Her cold facial expression was a contrast to her falsely concerned tone as she took in the collapsed Agreste men.

Ladybug waited until the other woman met her gaze. The hate radiating from the dead eyes masked by thin glasses made Ladybug's stomach sour. "Adrien was akumatized, he attacked his father," she spoke flatly, making sure to keep the Cat Noir dummy looking limp in her arms. "He did a number on my partner as well. They should receive medical care." Flinging her yo-yo out, Ladybug prepared to jump. "The Agreste family will always have the protection of Paris' superheroes. Make sure _everyone_ remembers that." With a fleeting look over her shoulder, she watched the other woman falter. Not able to remain any longer, she threw herself from the window and to the safety of Paris' rooftops.

Once she was safely tucked on a familiar roof, she hastily tossed her lucky charm into the air, watching as the magical bugs split in two between the school and the Agreste household. Her transformation occurred a breath after that and she sank onto the gravel, cradling Tikki while she retrieved a cookie from her purse. "Marinette! Where are Plagg and Nooroo?" Tikki sounded panicked, flecks of cookie flinging from her mouth as she talked.

"Here!" Plagg dragged Nooroo along with him, the purple kwami showing every ounce of his devastation. "Cheese?" Holding out his tiny black hands, Plagg hummed happily as Marinette handed over his cheese. "Eat fast, Tikki," Plagg also spoke with his mouth full, releasing stinky cheese stench with every word. "We have to get back to Adrien."

Marinette chewed on her bottom lip, "do you think he will be okay? Is it Nathalie who Mr. Agreste is so scared of?" That was the last piece that she couldn't put together.

It was Nooroo who spoke, although it looked like it took all his remaining effort to do so. "The peacock miraculous was stolen from Gabriel's safe. It has been activated by a dark master. A woman…" Nooroo's voice faded out as he collapsed forward, caught safely by Marinette.

"You poor thing," she cooed, holding him close, feeling the heat radiating from his body. "We have to get him to Master Fu. And quickly."

"Adrien first," Plagg demanded, poking Marinette on the nose, "you have to take off the other two miraculouses before you transform, you don't want to know what happens if you don't." Tikki was slowly shaking her head back and forth as Plagg spoke.

Marinette stood, removing the black boxes from her purse. "I can put yours in Adrien's box, but is it okay to put Nooroo's in mine? Are the boxes specific to each miraculous?"

"No specification. Tikki and I have traded boxes back and forth for years. Married Ladybugs and Cat Noirs never keep the boxes straight." Both kwamis leaned over her arm to look at Nooroo. "Let's go, he needs to get to Fu as soon as possible, and I need to get back to Adrien."

"It almost sounds like you love him," Marinette quipped, quickly yanking the ring from her finger and shoving it in the box before Plagg could respond. Unpinning the brooch, she placed a quick kiss on Nooroo's head before watching his sleeping form get absorbed into the second box. She carefully placed both boxes into her purse and set in down on the ground. "Are you ready?" She looked at Tikki with a raised eyebrow.

"Whenever you are!" Tikki exclaimed, hugging Marinette's cheek.

Transforming, Ladybug appeared on the roof where Marinette had been, flexing fatigued muscles. Throwing her yo-yo out, she swung back toward the Agreste household, Marinette's purse banging heavily against her hip as she moved.

* * *

They crashed through Master Fu's window without a care regarding the time of night. As they tumbled on the floor, Cat Noir purposely rolled toward Ladybug, dragging her into his arms and over his body. She raised an eyebrow at him as they came to a halt.

"You punched my dad in the nose, m'lady," Cat Noir chuckled, brushing the bangs from Ladybug's forehead. "I'm a little jealous that I didn't get to do it."

"Jealously is a negative emotion, Chaton," Ladybug teased, "haven't you had your lion's share of those for a while?"

A tut above their heads caused them both to look up, finding Master Fu standing above them wearing a bath robe and slippers. "Care to explain why you came crashing into my home at this hour?" The words were harsh, but the statement combined with the smile on Master Fu's face softened their blow.

Pinkish red and bright green mixed as the heroes released their transformations at the same time. Scrambling to her feet, dragging Adrien with her, Marinette pulled the box from her purse. Attaching the brooch to her jacket, Marinette caught Nooroo's limp body as it fell into her hands.

For what seemed like an eternity, Master Fu gaped at the purple kwami in turn with the tired faces of the teenaged heroes. Recovering from the sight of seeing Nooroo in front of him, Master Fu collected the kwami from Marientte and moved quickly into another room. When Marinette and Adrien failed to follow, he loudly called their names. Linking hands, they followed the sound of the guardian.

The room Master Fu disappeared into had a low table with pillows surrounding it. He motioned for them to sit, and their kwamis perched on the table, worried looks distorting their faces. Laying Nooroo on a pillow, the old man nodded as Wayzz entered in the room. The green kwami let out a low whistle as he settled next to Tikki. "Had an eventful day, did you?" His tone was filled with awe as his own partner begin to heal the purple kwami. "How bad is he?" Wayzz seemed to be holding his breath as he watched the proceedings in front of him.

"Nooroo has been controlled in a way no miraculous being should experience," Master Fu did not look up and therefore missed the slouch of Adrien's shoulders. "He has been worked to the brink of exhaustion. He will need to rest and heal for a remarkable amount of time." Master Fu motioned to Marinette, who quickly removed the brooch and pined it to Master Fu's robe in one smooth motion. "It won't be simple to heal him, but he will heal."

Adrien let his sigh escape, feeling guilty by association since his father had been the one to abuse Nooroo. He would have never done nor would ever do anything like this to Plagg. Sneaking a glance at his kwami, Adrien smiled when Plagg gave him a solemn thumbs up. Needing the physical comfort following the last few hours of emotional punishment, Adrien snaked his arm around Marinette's waist, smoothly pulling her into his side. An unreserved sigh heaved from his chest as he rested his cheek on her head.

Rubbing his hands together, Master Fu regarded his heroes from underneath dropped eyelids. "Do either of you want to fill me in?" He saw the exchange between them, waiting patiently for one of them to begin talking.

It was Marinette who spoke first. "Last night, I was with Adrien," she blushed a deep red that would make Crayola jealous, "um, not like that or anything, I mean not that I wouldn't, oh God!" She lost her train of thought as she crumpled her upper body on the table in embarrassment. The same girl who could punch Hawkmoth in the nose couldn't admit to spending the night innocently holding her boyfriend.

His 16-year-old brain felt a little fuzzy as it tried to process the cause of her blush. Adrien felt his own cheeks fire up as his thoughts caught up to hers. Gulping hard, he awkwardly patted Marinette's back. "My dad told me that another model would be living with us. He was acting all chummy with the other boy. I was mad and didn't show up for patrol."

Thankful for the smooth transition away from her overshare, Marinette turned her head, speaking from the crook of her elbow. "Queen Bee was practicing her skill and when it hit me, I felt the draw to Adrien. While I was there, the voice I told you about this morning spoke to me. I had a partially formed plan which I tried to imply to Adrien through a note. After we talked," Marinette motioned to Master Fu, who was still focused on the purple kwami, "the plan became fully formed. When Matteo became akumatized after…" her voice trailed off, biting her lip she looked over her shoulder to Adrien.

"Matteo became akumatized after he tried to hit on Marinette and I almost killed him." Adrien wasn't necessarily proud of how he had handled Matteo, but he was never going to admit he was wrong in that situation. "Marinette had dragged me from the school after she punched him, under the disguise of trying to avoid getting in trouble with Mr. Damocles."

"I had to get him away from the school and make sure he understood what he needed to do." Marinette finally allowed herself to sit back, finding herself once again pulled to Adrien's side. "You had told me that to protect Adrien, we had to make it look like he and Cat Noir were two separate people. I tried to control my lucky charm, and it worked. I was able to produce the item I needed." Nooroo made a small squeak in his fever induced sleep, causing them all to lean closer in concern.

"He is fine," Master Fu reassured them, "he is reacting to the release of the fever, I am keeping him from feeling the physical pain of it. Please go on."

"After I used my cataclysm to destroy the cameras, Ladybug was able to use her charm without any observation. We spoke to my father for only a few minutes before Nathalie rushed into the room. Ladybug left, with the fake Cat Noir in her arms and with all of the miraculouses." Adrien turned his body to focus on Marinette. "When Nathalie helped me up, she examined my hands. I saw the realization hit her when there was no ring present. She was more caring with me after she saw my empty fingers."

Nodding, Marinette leaned forward to kiss Adrien's forehead. "So you think that the suspicion was thrown off of you?"

Her boyfriend's shoulders shrugged, "I don't know for sure. She helped me get to my room after helping my father to his feet. When she led me away down the hall, he disappeared and I never had a chance to talk to him. What do you think he meant about my mother?"

A small noise escaped Master Fu, causing them to shift toward him. "Sorry," he stated without elaboration.

Her head was throbbing from her exhaustion, a feeling that had been building over many months. "He said she isn't safe and she is out there somewhere. It is vague and doesn't give us much to go on." Marinette groaned when Adrien began to rub her shoulders, her muscles become liquid under his touch. "Nooroo said something too," she paused trying to remember his exact words, "something about the peacock miraculous being activated by a dark master."

 ** _Thud._**

"Ow," Master Fu murmured, rubbing his knee where it had hit the table. He waited until the stare of the other two humans was reaching bone crushing levels before commenting further. "The peacock miraculous has been missing for some time, I told you both that when I revealed the miraculouses to be given to your friends." The older man never removed his concentration from Nooroo as he talked. "I lied."

A statement so calm shouldn't have elicited the anger that it did. Adrien and Marinette exchanged furious noises, pushing closer to the guardian who sat calmly at the end of the table. "What do you mean you lied?" Marinette questioned, her eyes moving to look at the kwamis on the table, all of which looked guilty.

"There was a shimmer of her power, felt by the others, a month or so after the Christmas holiday," Master Fu weighed his words carefully as he spoke, "it wasn't a steady presence, more of a flicker of power here and there. Until a few days ago." His hands lowered to Nooroo as his eyelids fully closed, a small hum releasing from the healer. The seconds it took for him to speak again felt like agony to the others. "It is a dark force that surrounds that miraculous now, and tonight it grew darker still. However, it wasn't always like that. Once, the holder of the miraculous was brighter than the sun itself, enhancing the emotions of those around her to help them reach their full potential." Master Fu raised an eyebrow in Marinette's direction. "Some would say that her personality bore a strikingly close resemblance to our dear Ladybug."

A brick landed in Adrien's stomach. He had never known anyone like Marinette, with the exception of one person. "My mother?"

Dumbstruck, Marinette observed Master Fu has he slowly nodded, waiting for Adrien's reaction. Her head was reeling that he had so quickly associated her with his own mother, who she knew he had adored. "So she is in danger?"

A whimper left Adrien as he clamped a hand over his mouth. Tears were threatening to form, so he threw himself across Marinette's lap, praying her touch would bring him comfort. His mother disappearing without a trace had been difficult; knowing that she was somewhere in the world and now in danger was worse.

"I'm afraid that seems to be true." Master Fu rested his hands on his knees. "I believe it is time to leave Paris in the hands of its newest heroes. You both have a different battle to fight now."

"Paris cannot be without Ladybug!" Adrien exclaimed, partially lifting himself from Marinette's lap and startling her backwards in the process. "I will go alone, if you will tell me where to start." Small, but strong, hands gripped his shoulders, pushing him up until he was at eye level with her.

"You are not going alone," Marinette shook her head as she continued, "Hawkmoth had me take his miraculous because I am the only one that can heal the akumas. Without Nooroo, the evil akumas no longer exist. Chloe and Alya can handle whatever comes their way, and we will have time to train them more, even if it is short. If you leave Paris, I leave Paris. No negotiation. We are better together than apart." She stole the argument from him as she pressed her lips to his, keeping the kiss light so as to avoid the embarrassment of everyone in the room.

The sound of Master Fu clearing his throat intruded on their moment. "Your Ladybug is right, Cat Noir, you are a team and this rescue mission will need both of you." Standing, he gathered the sleeping kwami into his arms. "For now, go home. Sleep. Be together. Tomorrow is a new day and with daylight comes hope. We will set out your plans then." He shuffled out of the room, Wayzz waving a hand at all of them before following.

"My house then?" Marinette spoke softly looking down at her lap. Adrien couldn't go home and he couldn't wake Nino in the middle of the night. If her parents found him sleeping on her lounger, they would trust her long enough to get an explanation. Leaving Paris was going to require a conversation that she had been avoiding for two years, so why not add her boyfriend sleeping over to the mix as well.

He didn't answer her, instead pulling Marinette to her feet to wrap himself into her arms. When he pulled away the tears were fresh on his face, making her heart ache. Using her thumbs to wipe them away, she was quickly lost in the bright green of his eyes. To reassure him, she moved closer, kissing him again, this time without an audience beyond their own kwamis.

Without any further discussion, they transformed, leaving through the window and heading to the comfort of Marinette's room.


	15. Chapter 15

**Writer's block had a serious hold on my brain with this story. I had all the elements of the outline, but no inspiration and a feeling like I was missing something in my own story.**

 **ShallowAssumptions saved the day, always willing to endure my excited babbling and providing me with creative, constructive, and collaborative input. Thank you for always being a source of inspiration for me!**

 **(see end notes for specific credits)**

* * *

They hadn't been moving for more than a minute when Cat Noir felt a tug on his tail. Looking over his shoulder he saw Ladybug tilt her head, wordlessly changing direction. He followed her blindly, as he had done through every day of their partnership.

It felt so normal to move over the city Paris, leaping together in synchronized maneuvers as the cool spring breeze glanced across her cheeks. The Eiffel Tower stood as it always had, illuminated in light as Paris' most beautiful landmark. Even though Ladybug could feel her life changing, it was a comfort to know that this structure would stand waiting for them to find solace in its metal construction. Intricate and strong, the Eiffel Tower had been a place where they had faced some of their strongest adversaries, but also found their highest comfort. It seemed appropriate now to return to its platforms, not because any great evil or new revelation would be found, but simply for existing in a place that held so much meaning.

Cat Noir landed a breath behind Ladybug's own footsteps, immediately collapsing, finally allowing all the tears to release from him. For hours he had remained strong, pushing the cries away on the park bench and keeping them at bay throughout the rest of the horrendous soul-crushing day. Curled against the hard metal beam, he could no longer control the pain that was tearing his heart to meaningless shreds in his chest. With Hawkmoth no longer around, he was free to feel everything he had been hiding for two years, and his body let the emotions rip through him, a storm of all the things he had been denying since the day he woke to find his mother gone.

His sobs were mixed with words she couldn't understand, but Ladybug sank to the ground, gathering Cat Noir into her lap. She held him tight, the way she would hold Manon when the little girl had a nightmare. In so many ways, Cat Noir was in the midst of his own nightmares, existing now between the release of one set of fears and the onset of another. Both of his parents had faced unspeakable trauma at the hands of the miraculouses, and Ladybug knew there was nothing she could say to comfort him. Cat Noir, as himself and as Adrien, had repressed all his fears and doubts and it was time for him to let them fall apart around him. Pulling him close, she ignored the wetness on her chest as his weeping increased.

His dad was Hawkmoth. His mom was missing. All because of the power of these stupid baubles that they wore. The destructive part of him wanted to watch the world burn, wanted to call for his cataclysm and begin to destroy everything he touched. He was a hero, regaled for his efforts, while his parents were suffering. All these years he thought his mom had left him, now he knew there was more to the story, but no one had bothered to fill him in. All he knew was that she was out there somewhere, and she was in danger. His father wasn't much safer, living in a house with servants that Cat Noir wasn't sure he could trust. If he left Paris, would his father share a fate with his mother? Cat Noir didn't know the answer, but his stomach lurched with the thought of it.

They sat for hours, Cat Noir never lifting his head from where it was tucked into Ladybug. Their bodies were fatigued. Their minds were racing, finally halting like hamsters falling asleep on their wheels when they had privately extinguished all of their thoughts. It had seemed useless to speak, as there were no words that could express the monuments of individual crisis crashing onto the shoulders of the heroes. Being superheroes had been hard, but most of their time had included laughter and flirting, making their superhero life something they had participated in with the joyful exuberance of youth. Until now, there was still an element of make believe to their superhero actions. They saved Paris and played their parts, always naïve to the real danger they would face one day.

The naivety was gone now. Paris had been their home, where they grew together as a team. In what had been just a flash in their lifetime, they had become comfortable fighting here, facing akumas without batting an eye, always convinced they would win. But they weren't staying in Paris, they were leaving, to face dangers unidentified, without any real guidance and potentially with only each other to rely on. At sixteen, the world was suddenly darker, the battle feeling too big for them to handle.

It wasn't that they were playing at being superheroes, they certainly took their jobs seriously, but there had been an element of fun to their roles. Even when there had been akumas pounding down on them, they still had time to go to school, to be with their friends, and most importantly to fall in love. Now, all of those other things felt as if they were falling away, the task of finding and saving Adrien's mother was front and center in both of their minds.

The world around them began to brighten, as the sun lifted from the horizon signaling a new day. Master Fu had said that the day brought hope, and Ladybug clung to those words, willing them to be true. She lifted a sleepy Cat Noir from her lap, holding him steady as he found his feet on the ground. There was nothing she could say that would come close to expressing how she felt, so instead, she kissed him, holding him tightly to her as she tried to convey all of her emotions at once.

Maybe it was their fate to be together, but Cat Noir felt every ounce of love pouring from Ladybug, letting it fill his body from the tips of his toes to the last inch of his hair. His body warmed as her love broke over him, his heart brightening like the landscape of Paris as the sunrise lifted over it. Fate might have brought them here, but they fell in love all on their own, and he was going to use that love to fuel his will to fight. They could travel to the darkest depths of the world, go toe-to-toe with the greatest evils, and as long as she was with him, he would never give up. Together, they would face whatever came next.

As the sun touched the tips of Paris, casting the pinkish orange light of a new day, the heroes floated over their city, headed first to Marinette's and then onto the unknown.

* * *

Landing together on her balcony, Ladybug felt herself simultaneously being slammed back against the wall. She went to profess her anger with her partner for the action, when his leather hand clamped over her mouth. Following his lead, she peered over the side of her balcony, seeing the tall, elegant figure standing alone in front of her parents' bakery. A memory flashed, of a man much like this one, prowling around the front of the store on the night that she had learned of Cat Noir's identity. It felt like a lifetime ago, although it had only been days.

This man was less frantic, but Cat Noir was able to identify him as the same man. In the light of day, even with his hat tucked lower over his ears, Gabriel Agreste was now unmistakable. The Adrien part of him almost felt foolish for not recognizing his own father all those nights ago. Pulling Marinette into her own room, Cat Noir released his transformation, not waiting for Ladybug to do the same. "My father," Adrien waved his hand toward the window, "he has to be here for a reason."

Ladybug sighed, finally releasing her transformation. Tikki floated first toward her desk to retrieve a cookie and then landing with a thud on Marinette's bed. Plagg wasn't far behind her, squealing only slightly when he discovered the cheese wrapped carefully on Marinette's desk. Marinette watched them in fascination, finding herself desperate to know what their opinions were on this mess. Knowing they needed to rest, she let the thought pass unspoken. "We need to talk him," Marinette moved to collect fresh clothes, staying away from Adrien as she realized how badly she needed a shower. "I'm going to get clean, you had a chance to shower yesterday, I didn't." She laughed when Plagg joked about her odor from his place on her bed. "I'll make it quick. I'm sure my parents will let him in, they always enjoyed trying to get your father to talk to them." She disappeared into the bathroom before he could argue.

Adrien paced. He couldn't sit still with all the thoughts bouncing around and he couldn't transform and run all over Paris since Plagg had promptly begun snoring on Marinette's bed. Had he ever noticed how loudly Plagg snored before? He thought not. Idly, he flipped open a sketchpad that was resting on the desk, amusing himself by peering through Marinette's sketches. Her talent was a never-ending source of joy for him and he could use any type of happiness he could find.

"What are you looking at?" Marinette's question was playful as she rejoined him in the room. She was sporting shorts that fit tight to her knees and a flowy top that ruffled around her waistband. Her hair hung to her shoulders, wet and chaotic from where she towel dried it. Adrien felt part of his brain go numb as he starred at her. Marinette raised an eyebrow at his silence as she moved passed him to locate a hairbrush. She sat, running it through her hair, pausing when she felt a hand on hers.

"Could I?" Adrien was blushing furiously above her head, making her heart flutter.

Nodding, she relinquished the brush, letting the soft feeling of him playing with her hair ease the tension in her muscles. How this moment and the moment in Hawkmoth's layer could exist in the same twenty-four hours was beyond her reasoning. She sighed, resting back with her head dangling forward, feeling the need for sleep settle around her.

Both of them jumped, Adrien falling to the ground, when Marinette's hatch opened. Sabine stood blinking at both of them, a small smile barely contained. "Be glad I wasn't your father, Marinette," the humor in her voice was ill-concealed. "Come down you two, we have a visitor, breakfast is on the table." Sabine disappeared, her tiny, knowing chuckle the only sound left in the room.

It was a split second decision, made with an apology to her kwami, when Marinette called for her transformation. Life was going to be complicated enough with having to explain her absence from Paris, she needed her parents to know the truth in case she didn't return. The last part of her thought made her stomach curl so she pushed it away as fast as it had come.

Adrien followed suit, Plagg being much less accommodating than Tikki. He would find a way to make it up to his kwami, but for now, they had important business to take care of and he trusted whatever plan Marinette had wordlessly conveyed with her own transformation. Following his Ladybug as her Cat Noir, they descended into the Dupain-Cheng home.

His father sat primly in a chair around the dining table, hands resting on either side of a plate that was piled with decadent food. Cat Noir found himself wondering which side of his father would win out, the polite side that would eat so as not to offend the Dupain-Chengs, or the figure-conscious health nut that didn't eat anything that contained sugar. He lost the bet with himself as he watched his father carefully lift a pastry and take an enormous bite. It was the most average action Cat Noir had seen his father perform in over two years and he found an odd reassurance in the motion.

"What in the sam hill?" Tom Dupain stood gob-smacked with his tray of croissants leaning dangerously toward the floor. "Why were you two in my daughter's bedroom?" He didn't stop staring, even when Sabine had removed the tray from his hands, patting his arm sympathetically.

"Dad," Ladybug spoke directly to her father, waiting only a beat for him to process her voice, "we need to talk. I wanted you to see this happen, otherwise you might not have believed what I have to say." She released Tikki from her miraculouses, comforting the kwami when her little red friend came face-to-face with the other humans in the room. Placing the pillow Ladybug had carried into the room with her onto the table, Marinette guided Tikki onto to it with a reassuring kiss on the kwami's head.

Not wanting to wait any longer, Cat Noir also released his transformation. Plagg rushed to Tikki's side, uncaring about the other people in the room and only wanting to eat more before returning to sleep. Adrien scoffed at his kwami but remained silent.

Tom Dupain's mouth moved like a fish out of water, desperately trying to form a sentence. His wide eyes moved to his wife, who was sitting serenely at the table, drinking her coffee as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred. The comically slow turn of his head toward Gabriel made Marinette snort. To his credit, Mr. Agreste shared a weak smile in the direction of her father, lifting one hand as if to convey his apologies for the situation. Tom sat in his chair with a thud. "You knew?" The incredulous look on his face was even more exaggerated when Sabine nodded, waving a hand toward Adrien and Marinette to encourage them to sit.

"One would only have to pay attention to the news, along with our daughter's multiple unexplained absences to figure it out." Once again Sabine was sipping her coffee as if the transformation of her daughter into a superhero was of no consequence to her. "I'm very proud of our Marinette."

It was impossible not to blush as Marinette starred down into her plate, feeling Adrien's hand slip onto her knee. His touch combined with her mother's words had set her skin on fire. "How long have you known?" It was too much to look at her parents in that moment, so she busied herself buttering her croissant.

"I have had my suspicions for a year or so," Sabine patted her husband's cheek, "I thought your father had caught on as well, but it appears as if I was wrong." She giggled at Tom's furious expression, raising up to kiss him on the cheek. "Oh well," Sabine mused, "we are all on the same page now!"

Silence fell over the table, the only sounds coming from the scraping of utensils mixed with chewing and the slight snoring of the tiny kwamis. Marinette was searching her brain for her next words, unable to start talking for fear that she would never stop. Her time as Ladybug had been the only time she had ever lied to her parents, and now that they knew, she wanted to tell them everything. Everything except that she was leaving and she had no idea if she would ever make it back.

Gabriel Agreste was the first to break the silence. "You have a wonderful daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Dupain-Cheng," he nodded at each of them as they spoke. His tone was formal, but his shoulders had finally begun to relax. "Without her, I don't know where Adrien would be right now. She has saved him in more ways than she knows."

His father was embarrassing him, Adrien could feel the blush returning to his cheeks. When a hand squeezed his knee under the table, he smiled knowing that Marinette would let his father's words go.

"Adrien has saved me too," Marinette was the next to speak, finding her voice to be less shaky than she thought possible. "Without Cat Noir at my side, I would have died in a fight a long time ago." She realized the mistake of her words when her father's knife fell from his hand and crashed against the table. It was the truth though, without Cat Noir she surely wouldn't have survived this long. This thought alone stuck with her as she forged on, prepared to put all the bad and good on the breakfast table. "Mom, Dad," she waited until they had both trained their gazes on her face, "Adrien and I have to leave Paris." A boulder in puddle would have landed lighter than her words.

Stepping in, Gabriel pushed his plate away as he spoke, "my wife has been missing for a number of years." Something in his eyes stopped Tom and Sabine from whatever arguments they would have made. "She is in grave danger, and I have asked that these two save her." It was Gabriel's turn to face his son and Marinette. "Now that we have time, perhaps I could explain what I know of the situation."

Tom shoved back from the table, a stiff arm pointing toward the living room. "I think some explanations are definitely in order." He marched from the room without looking back, leaving Marinette feeling her mouth dry from nerves. Tom Dupain was rarely ever mad, and was never curt with words even when he was. She could only assume that she had deeply hurt her father as she watched his back disappear around the side of the wall.

Linking their hands together, they followed their parents into the other room, leaving their kwamis asleep on the table. Tom and Sabine sat with their shoulders touching on the couch while Gabriel sat on the edge of a single chair. Adrien sat gingerly on the other chair, Marinette folding herself to the ground in front of him. She was torn between sitting with her parents and staying close to her partner, in the end needing the comfort of Adrien's touch more than anything else. Marinette looked to Gabriel expectantly, waiting for him to fill in all the answers that were left behind when she jumped from the atrium window.

His knuckles were white as Gabriel held onto his knees, uncertainty coming out with his unsteady breaths. Marinette recognized the anxiety that often took overtook her ability to communicate and reached to place a hand over the one on Gabriel's knee. He softened at her touch, slipping his thumb over the back of her hand, silently begging her not to let go. "My wife," Gabriel's voice hitched. He strengthened himself with a deep breath as he forced himself to speak, "she was a remarkable woman, much like your Marinette." Gabriel looked only to Tom, his expression begging the other man to listen. "And like Marinette, she held a special power. Lady Pois was her name, and her partner was a small peacock named Duusu." Glistening droplets formed in Gabriel's eyes, causing him to swallow hard. "Almost three years ago, Lavande disappeared. She left behind her miraculous, a peacock brooch, which up until a few months ago I had kept hidden in my safe." When Gabriel focused on his son, Adrien sat up straighter, loosening his grip on Marinette's shoulders. "I wasn't always Hawkmoth. When your mother was here, we were a team, much like the two of you. Then I was known as Papillion. We were young then, retiring our miraculouses when you were born. I only became Hawkmoth when my grief became too much to bear alone. Then Ladybug and Cat Noir were activated, and it became something more. I had hoped to trade your miraculouses for the safe return of your mother, but you were undefeatable and my hope dwindled."

"You could have told me," Adrien's words were not loud, but there was poison soaking in every syllable. "When you figured out my identity, we could have talked about it. You didn't need to keep fighting us."

"But I did, son, to protect you, I had to keep fighting," Gabriel's head hung toward the ground, speaking to the floor. "Your mother's miraculous is being held by a dark master now, and not in the way that I used Nooroo. The soul that has possessed Duusu is dark in its very essence, if it is not separated from the miraculous soon, it will corrupt it forever."

"Why isn't Nooroo corrupted then? You used him for evil purposes for two years." Adrien spat the accusations at his father. The image of Nooroo, hurt and feverish on a healing pillow still haunted him whenever he closed his eyes. Kwamis were innocent and magical, never deserving the type of treatment his father had forced upon the small purple figure.

"I was wrong in what I did, and there will be no way that I can explain this to you properly," Gabriel wouldn't look up, the shame weighing him down, "my heart, although broken, is not dark. That's why my akumas were so easily defeated. I never had the ability to make them truly evil. A dark soul though, one without any love in it, when paired with a miraculous becomes a dark force which peddles evil into the world at an alarming rate. And the evil possession of Duusu puts your mother in graver danger, because she could return to save Duusu, attempting to fight without the aid of a miraculous." Tears fell from Gabriel, unstopped and dripping directly onto the carpet. His hand wrapped into Marinette's, which hadn't left him since the conversation started.

"What are you expecting these two children to do about this?" Tom whispered from the couch, all of the fight faded from him as his large frame slumped into the support of his wife. "They are just kids, Gabriel, you don't expect them to head off on a suicide mission, do you? What about Paris if they leave? If there is some evildoer lurking, how will Paris survive without them?" All of his questions were valid, causing Marinette and Adrien to exchange silent motions deciding how much to tell them.

In the end, it was time to come clean on everything. Her parents had supported her through every struggle and triumph in her life, and it was time to let them know all of the parts she had kept hidden away. "We have teammates, Dad," Marinette saw her father go white, the amount of information being thrown his way becoming too much for him to handle. "I don't know if the news has caught on yet, but we have two new heroes fighting on our side. If we leave Paris, they will stand guard."

"You keep talking about leaving," Tom sat up, letting Sabine hold his arm instead of his entire body, "but where are you going? Do you even know?"

A knock at the door had them all turning to look in the direction of the sound. Gabriel looked at them as he stood. "I believe that the one person who can answer the rest of these questions has just arrived." Moving through the room, Gabriel yanked open the Dupain-Cheng front door, revealing Master Fu standing on the other side. "Fu." His arms were outstretched, looking somewhere between wanting to be hugged and expecting to be slapped. When the smaller man stepped into Gabriel's embrace, Marinette and Adrien gasped. They had obviously been friends in another lifetime, and their short-lived hug showed the strain and love that made up their relationship.

Master Fu moved first, entering the room with a nod to Marinette's parents as he sat on the floor, legs crossed knee touching Marinette's. Wayzz flew from the room, obviously in search of his counterparts. These tiny beings were flying through their house, but Tom and Sabine had yet to inquire as to what they were. Marinette's love for her parents was only growing over the way they were handling the strange situation.

"Having a heart-to-heart, are we?" Master Fu nodded around the room, registering the surprise on Tom and Sabine's faces. "My name is Master Fu and I am the guardian of the miraculouses. I have had the pleasure of working with your children, and I am here to answer your questions. However, I believe that it is time that I answer some of theirs first."

Settling back against Adrien's knees, Marinette heard him start his line of questioning, some of the questions matching ones she would have asked herself. Slowly, as they encouraged Master Fu to elaborate beyond his normally cryptic responses, they started putting together the pieces of Lavande Agreste's story.

"The Fu Dynasty is one of the oldest and strongest magical dynasties in history." Master Fu spoke quietly and with purpose. "We are not the only remaining magical dynasty, but I believe we are the strongest. And I am the current patriarch and guardian, although I am not alone in this world. Speaking more specifically, I have a brother named Xiao." Master Fu let this information sink in before he pressed on. "Xiao is younger than me, although it is hard to explain the age difference since my bloodline ages much slower than yours. When I was born, the firstborn to a magical bloodline, it became my destiny to protect the miraculouses and the kwamis which inhabit each of them. Xiao found it unfair that his birth order dictated his role in our family, and as we grew older, his soul grew darker. The darkness within him caused my parents momentous concern, leading them to deny Xiao access to the power of the miraculouses. He has never been paired with a kwami, as I have been with Wayzz, and this alone was enough to drive him to madness. He left the family, without a trace, and it has been over a century since I had seen his face. Until three years ago, when he appeared to me in a dream. As I awoke, I found him standing in my home, miraculous box in hand." Sabine returned to the room, placing tea in front of Master Fu who nodded his appreciation. "We fought, it was the very last time I would transform with the help of Wayzz. The box broke, severing the top of the box from the bottom. When Xiao fled, he took the lower half with him, leaving behind the two most important miraculouses. I could feel his fury when he discovered this fact, but he didn't dare to return to retrieve them."

The weight of the knowledge sunk in, along with the variety of lies Master Fu had told her, leaving Marinette feeling dizzy. Somewhere there were more miraculouses, in the possession of an angry semi-guardian. It had taken them two years to defeat Hawkmoth, how long would it possibly take them to defeat even more enemies? One thought escaped her, "how many does he have?" She needed the answer, no matter how much she didn't really want to know.

"Six."

Master Fu's answer hit her stomach like a ball of lead, leaving her with the need to throw it up. Six miraculouses. Six potential evil enemies out in the world. Seven if you counted the evil holder they knew was already in Paris. The overwhelming intensity of it had her burying her head in Adrien's lap. Blood rushed in her ears, shoulders shaking from the terror of it.

"I do not believe they are all activated, although given the distance it may be impossible for me to feel them all." Master Fu placed a hand on Marinette's shoulder, silently asking her to face him. When she was able to control herself, she lifted. "I believe I know where he is, and if I am right, I believe you will also find Lavande Agreste. Her role with his plan is unclear, but if you find Xiao, you'll find her. This I am sure of."

"How can you be sure?" Marinette wanted to shake the older man. There was a part of her that trusted him with her life, but the other half of her knew that he had the ability to deceive them and had been willingly doing so.

"Because I sent her after him," Master Fu sipped his tea after delivering this devastating news, his casual admission bringing Gabriel to the edge of his seat. "She came to me with a file of research regarding another miraculous holder that had gone missing, a friend of hers," Master Fu shook his head slightly when Gabriel went to speak, "all of her information pointed to Xiao and a plan that was so devious it was impossible to ignore. So she left, with the intent of rescuing her friend and gathering intel on Xiao. She has never returned." For the first time, Marinette could hear the sadness in Master Fu's voice; it reassured her that they were not the only ones emotionally invested in the situation.

Heavy silence fell on the room as everyone processed everything that had been laid before the heroes. The parents only saw their children, sitting huddled together, looking younger than they should in the face of what they were being asked to do. The faces peering back at them had not yet lost their baby fat, their bodies still those of gangly pubescent kids. The adults in the room were helpless to provide aid, this was a fight they would face alone and no one had the strength to acknowledge this fact.

Adrien hadn't spoken. His voice had remained absent, his thoughts as unfinished as his breakfast. He hadn't cried and he hadn't stopped clutching Marinette. His mind had tripped over itself trying to make sense of Master Fu's story, putting the pieces slowly together through the haze of drowsiness and heart ache. The only thing he knew was that Master Fu could find his mother, or at least tell them where to find her. If he accomplished nothing else as Cat Noir, he would find his mom and bring her home to safety. There was nothing he wanted more. "Where is she?" his question was direct, no hint of the sickness creeping up his throat.

"Tibet," Master Fu paused when Gabriel made a sound next to him, "Xiao has built a temple in the most remote part, far away from anywhere that he could be discovered."

Marinette stood, pulling Adrien to stand next to her. "Then Tibet is where we are going. We will figure out the details. I'm sure Mr. Agreste can fund our way there." It was Marinette standing in the room, but Ladybug that was speaking from inside of her. "For now, we are going to rest. Please tell the school we will not be in today. Tomorrow, when we have rested, we will work out the details." She kissed both of her parents, allowing them to hold her in a tight hug between them, knowing that they all needed it. "I'm sorry," she whispered into their shoulders, feeling their resolve break and the tears begin to flow. When they finally released her, Marinette twisted and gently put her arms around Gabriel Agreste. Although he remained stiff, Marinette felt the tentative hand on her back. "We'll get her back, I promise," she spoke into his shoulder, trying to believe her own words.

Finding Adrien's hand again, she pulled him from the room, leaving behind the adults to question Master Fu further. She was sure that they had the reservations about letting the two teenagers return to Marinette's bedroom, but she was too tired and too overwhelmed to care. Inevitably, they would talk for hours, badgering Master Fu for details about Marinette's and Adrien's life for the past two years, and they didn't need to be present to hear the answers. What they needed was the comfort of each other's arms and dreamless sleep.

Adrien paused by the dining room table, noting a duffle bag that he knew to be his. Bending down, he retrieved the bag, opening it to reveal a host of his personal belongings. He was relieved to see changes of clothes, along with his school bag, and his toiletries. Among the items in the bag was his picture of his mother. He felt the breath stall in his chest. The bag was his father's acknowledgement that Adrien wouldn't be returning home, and it hit Adrien like a derailed freight train.

Arriving in Marinette's room, she slipped away from Adrien and into the bathroom to change into her pajamas. He changed quickly, sighing into the relief of his most comfortable pajama pants. They had left their kwamis asleep on the table downstairs, knowing they would be safe with Master Fu in the house. Marinette knew that her parents would fall in love with Tikki and Plagg as soon as they began talking, and wasn't worried about them being tended to. Her biggest concern was how sick Plagg would get when his appetite paired with her mother's need to feed. She examined her face in the mirror, seeing all the evidence of her exhaustion painted as a mask of redness and purple circles under her eyes. Sleep was the only remedy, and she nervously flitted from the bathroom steadying herself as she stepped back into the room.

His mind was close to shutting off, when she gently took his hand and led him up the stairs to her bed. They stood on either side, carefully considering each other. As if it was a prepared routine, they lifted the covers, sliding on opposite sides of the bed, finding each other somewhere in the middle. Tangling their limbs together, Marinette's cheek pressed into the soft fabric of the t-shirt covering Adrien's chest, they finally fell into much deserved slumber.

* * *

 **Credit to ShallowAssumptions for the following:**

 **Names: Lavande Agreste/Lady Pois and Xiao**

 **Location Suggestion: Tibet**

 **Character Development Assistance: Xiao**


	16. Chapter 16

**Some of the chapters from here will be longer than previous ones, while others will be published in much shorter length. I have rewritten this chapter many times and there may still be errors, so I apologize for this.**

 **While all of these heroes are miraculous, they are still teenagers, so some of the things discussed or implied (especially by Sabine and Adrien's teen boy brain) are typical for their age. Again, in all things I want to respect and protect their innocence.**

* * *

Quiet noises rose around him, mingling with the warmth of the soft sheets tucked up over his shoulders. Snuggling deeper into the pillow, Adrien inhaled Marinette's scent, registering that he was now alone in the lofted bed. Peeling his eyes open, he found the dull lighting in the room surprising, shifting slightly to look out of the window. It was raining again in Paris and Adrien had never appreciated the weather more. The gloominess settled around him, becoming a part of him as reality filtered back in.

The bright spot, as had always been, was Marinette. Curled into her, for however many hours they had slept together, had been the most restful sleep he had experienced in years. Now, with the safety of her bedroom cocooning him with the Marinetteness of it all, Adrien found himself content to lay still, only wishing she had remained in the bed with him. He would gladly sleep wrapped up in her arms for the rest of his life.

Voices carried from underneath the hatch in her floor, sounds of life existing outside of his dreary state. He strained to hear the words, only able to identify a distinct lack of sadness. It drew him in and lured him from the comfort of the bed, calling him to be a part of whatever was happening below him. Slipping on his slippers, uncaring about his pajama bottoms or favorite old fraying t-shirt, Adrien slipped through the hatch, moving inaudibly down the stairs, halting when the Dupain-Cheng kitchen came into view.

Marinette was standing shoulder-to-shoulder with her mother, the older woman attending the stove while Marinette kneaded what appeared to be bread dough. Both were smiling, sharing in some sort of private joke that Adrien couldn't hear. Behind them, propped on the counter with pillows were the kwamis, watching the mother daughter duo with interest, both snacking from a large plate that rested in front of them. The scene felt so ordinary, as if this was a scene from Adrien's usual life, making him eager to establish an active role in the matter. Approaching the kitchen, he called his hellos, almost falling backwards when both women whipped around to face him.

Sabine wiped her hands on her apron, approaching Adrien, she lifted the back of her hand to his forehead. It was a motherly gesture, one his own mother had performed countless times in his childhood to check him for fever. Finding his skin appropriately cool, Sabine patted his cheek and returned to the kitchen. "You must be starving, dinner will be ready within the hour, but Marinette," Sabine removed the baking tray with the bread rolls carefully shaped on it, placing it in the oven as she spoke, "will make you a snack." She completed her thought with a nod of her head, pushing Marinette toward the fridge.

There was a shyness to his partner that Adrien hadn't seen recently, bringing his attention to her back as she flitted through the contents of the refrigerator. Removing a plate of more appetizing cheese than Plagg's normal version, Marinette carefully lined the border of the plate with apple slices and homemade crackers. Filling a cup to the brim with milk at the command of her mother, Marinette slowly moved with the items toward the counter, motioning with her head for Adrien to sit down. "What time is it?" As soon as the plate hit the counter, he was retrieving food from it, hearing the desperate call from his belly.

"Nearly six," Marinette stood quietly, monitoring his movements. When she had awoken several hours prior, finding their positions shifted and his cheek firmly planted on her chest, her mind had begun to run loose through fields of anxiety coated poppies. Gently she had escaped his hold, retreating to her mother's side for a sense of normalcy. It wasn't that she regretted sharing a bed with Adrien, on the contrary she had slept the day away peacefully with the knowledge that he was safe. It was more the piece of her that was still a child seemed to be conflicting with the part of her that had grown into a young woman. All of the feelings had whirled together in a tornado of thought, bringing her crashing into her mother's arms. The world felt off of its axis at the moment, and Marinette needed the comfort of her mother's presence to set it right again.

Cooking together had given them an opportunity to talk, Sabine shooing the kwamis from the room momentarily for the sake of privacy. Their conversation had taken an uncomfortable turn when Sabine had calmly held her daughter's hands and asked her if she was ready for all that was to come. The reminder of that conversation, only a couple of hours ago, brought the pink to Marinette's cheeks and she busied herself away from Adrien to avoid questioning.

 _"My girl," Sabine said softly, holding Marinette's hands in hers with a slight squeeze, "life is about to become very different for you, more than it has since the day you became a superhero."_

 _Marinette nodded, the weight of all the responsibility dragging her shoulders toward the ground. "I'm going to come back, Mom, I promise."_

 _The wise smile on her mother's face thrusted a dagger strike in Marinette's heart. "You won't come back unchanged, I just want to make sure you know that any decision you make, we will support you. But try not to make any decisions with the idea that you won't return." Knowingly, Sabine glanced up the stairs to Marinette's room, where her partner lay asleep in her bed._

 _It took Marinette a minute to understand her mother's implications, gagging on her own breath when she realized the direction their conversation was taking. Praying her mother would not find a need to become more specific, Marinette centered herself, breathing deeply. "Mom, it won't, we won't, um," the words wouldn't come out of her, "it isn't like that, we're not like that. It won't, um, happen." Her voice trailed off, chewing on her lip, eyes darting up the stairs praying Adrien would continue to sleep._

 _"I know, my dear," Sabine smiled, noting the uncomfortable shuffle of her daughter's feet. "You rely on each other, and you love each other, that is obvious to everyone. Your father and I want you to be happy, but also to be smart. We don't know how to help you from here, this is the last time my advice will be of any good to you. Your lives are in the hands of others now." There was a sadness in the words, bringing Marinette into her mother's arms._

 _"You and Papa are the reasons I can do what I do. You believed in me when I didn't believe in myself, even before you knew I was Ladybug." Tears threatened her eyes as she held her mother impossibly close. She felt it then, the weight shift, knowing that she wouldn't be fighting solely to bring herself and her partner home, but that she would fight to return for the sake of her parents above all else. They separated with shared sentiments of love, returning to the task of preparing dinner, trying to lighten the mood with jokes and silliness._

His eyes lifted from the empty plate, alert to another change in Marinette. For as long as they had been partners, he had been developing a sense of Ladybug, judging her moods and her thoughts when there were no words to support his observations. Now, he was able to do the same with his girlfriend, noticing the slight downturn to her mouth and the tired circles under her eyes. Rinsing his plate in the sink and placing it into the washer, he tugged at her elbow, kissing her on the cheek. When the smile returned to one side, he guided her out of the kitchen. "Can we talk?" he exhaled the question, not realizing that he had been holding his breath.

Together they climbed the stairs to her room, silently moving into the main space. Adrien braced his back against her lounge chair, guiding Marinette to sit between his legs, shoulder resting on his chest. For a moment, Adrien closed his eyes, feeling the rainy breeze fluttering in from the cracked window. He let it calm the ache in his chest, inhaling the smell of Paris as it intermingled with the smell of Marinette. Opening his eyes, he saw her watching him, leaning forward to capture her in a long kiss.

"I thought you wanted to talk," Marinette playfully shoved him back, her mother's words teasing at her brain, making her feel fidgety.

"I do," Adrien sighed, lacing his fingers with hers, "I'm scared." He let the words hang in the room. Scared didn't begin to cover the avalanche of emotions that were rushing inside of him.

"Oh, me too," Marinette released the tension in her frame, falling heavily onto Adrien's chest. "We don't have a choice though. If what Master Fu says is true, your mother," Marinette felt her throat close around the words, "and the other miraculouses." Her eyes shone with unfallen tears. There were so many thoughts in her head, they were competing for attention, each begging to be the first to be spoken.

"Overwhelming," pronounced Adrien, as if it could neatly sum up everything Marinette was trying to say. The head on his chest nodded. "Do you believe him?" It was the one thought Adrien kept coming back to. Master Fu had kept so much from them, he wasn't sure that he could believe him now.

This wasn't a foreign thought to Marinette's mind either, reviewing all of the new information with the lies of the past. She had even taken the time to discuss this with her parents, receiving their reassurance that they didn't believe Master Fu would send them into a battle armed only with deception. It was that conversation that had settled at least part of Marinette's flurry of thoughts. "I believe him," the sound was muffled against Adrien's shirt, but confident regardless, "I believe he was scared, maybe still is, and thought he was protecting us." Placing her chin on Adrien's knee, skin tingling as he lightly ran his fingers over her back, Marinette continued, "we are younger than most teams, and from Alya, I know that some terrible deaths came to past Ladybugs and Cat Noirs. I don't think he wants us to know that. At least not yet." She shifted her head, laying her cheek on his knee to look her boyfriend in his perfect green eyes.

"Yeah," Adrien sounded unsure, even to himself. "If we go with that theory, what do we do now? Jump on a plane and head for Tibet?" He briefly wished that they could be average teenagers, stealing kisses before her parents caught them, instead of discussing a life-threatening journey. How easy it would be to pull Marinette over his body, and lose himself in her, the urge almost overtook him, grounded only by the sadness staining her face.

"We need to train, outside of our miraculouses. We need to finish school, at least through the time of finals. And," her sentence caught on the lump in her throat, "we need to say goodbye."

The last word brought them to silence, Marinette moving fully into Adrien's arms, both them of letting silent tears fall onto hair and cloth. They remained curled together, simultaneously wanting to freeze time until Tom's voice carried up the stairs calling them to dinner.

* * *

"AGAIN!"

Shoving from the ground, Marinette nodded determinedly toward the sound of Master Fu's direction. Heaving herself onto the large block, she stood, prepared to block against the swinging dummy bag. This time when it sped towards her, she ducked, spinning on one foot to kick out the other, sending the bag flying in the opposite direction. On his own elevated podium, Adrien completed the motion, sending the bag sailing back to her.

Hours had passed in the dim light of the abandoned warehouse. They had jumped from rafters, swung from frayed ropes and generally received the beating of a lifetime. It was the thirteenth day that they had spent locked away in the confines of the crumbling walls, Master Fu pushing them harder every time they arrived.

There was an exhilaration to fighting without Plagg inside of him, and Adrien felt stronger even as his muscles started shaking from fatigue. He appreciated the hard physicality of training as it allowed his mind to focus solely on the task in front of him, giving him a temporary release from his intense emotions. School had been torture, trying to pretend everything was normal, laughing with Nino, flirting with Marinette, and teasing Alya. Although he had been professionally trained to convey emotions he didn't feel, it was wearing on him to use those skills around his friends. It had taken him so long to open up to them, how he was behaving now felt like a betrayal. Distracted, he took a hard hit to the shoulder, knocking him sideways from the bag. He braced for impact, closing his eyes as he fell toward the ground.

Leaping from her own platform, Marinette used the bag to swing herself in the direction of her partner, catching him inches from the ground and replacing him on his podium. Following the path of the twirling bag, she jumped, skittering to the edge of her podium before standing. Pride erupted in her as she heard Master Fu's excited calls from the ground. It had been an instinctual move, and Marinette felt the success deep in her soul.

Squatting down, Adrien gawked at his partner. Ladybug had always been quick on her feet, saving him countless times from falling to his death. It was alarming, and incredibly alluring to see that type of strength coming from Marinette as herself. Despite her sweat drenched shirt, dirt clinging to her hair and face, Adrien swore she had never been so attractive. Desire bellied in him, and he reminded himself they had a job to do, shaking his head to clear the sixteen-year-old boy thoughts. When the bag swung in his direction again, he used it to propel himself into the air, landing neatly next to her. He laughed when she shoved him.

"Show off," she shot in his direction, making a clean leap onto the next platform, putting a fist directly into the face of the practice dummy.

"Says you!" he called as he followed. Neither of them were as graceful without the miraculouses aiding their movements, but there was no denying that they were becoming more skilled. He was almost starting to believe they could fight on their own, the thought only mildly reassuring him as he chased her through the obstacle course.

With a final tumble, Marinette landed on her feet in front of Master Fu, tired arms braced against her hips. Adrien followed suit, both of them cracking a smile at their puffed chests. They looked like children pretending to be superheroes, which in essence was what they were. Fatigue and stress made the image funnier than it should have been. Keeping the amusement alive, Adrien continued to flex into a number of poses, reciting lines from an old comic book about an alien superhero.

Master Fu tutted as he walked away, shaking his head, his own smile playing at his lips as he bowed his head. Waiting only a beat, they followed him to a small corner where pillows had been set down for meditating and cooling down. It was the signal that their training was over for the day and Marinette felt herself relax with this realization. Settling onto her red cushion, Tikki landing on her shoulder, Marinette folded her legs into meditation position.

"When are your final exams over?" Master Fu's eyes were closed, chest moving in a steady pace as he led their breathing exercises.

"Friday," Adrien answered, the response sounding drowsy as he relaxed into the exercise, Plagg resting comfortably in his hair.

Subtly opening one eye, Marinette scrutinized Master Fu as he processed this information. "By Sunday, you'll be on a plane. Your cover story will be put in place on Friday, be ready to say your goodbyes."

All of the weary feelings Marinette had been pushing away over the last two weeks, slammed into her chest, making her breathing erratic. She knew this was coming, but somehow in the midst of the hours of training, quiet patrolling with her teammates, and regular activities with her friends, she had put the inevitable out of her mind. It had been a calm two weeks without Hawkmoth, minus the continuous questions and quarrels of their newest teammates about where he had gone, and Marinette had liked the peace. Balance had been restored to her life, as long as she had entirely ignored what was on the horizon.

"What about the peacock?" Adrien's eyes remained closed as he spoke, chest heaving in time with Master Fu's. Marinette considered the possibility that Adrien had coped better than her, although she knew the nightmares were still chasing him as he cried out most nights, begging for comfort.

"Duusu is awake," Plagg answered from Adrien's hair, "that's the kwami, if you forgot. Because you would forget." Playfully Plagg thumped Adrien on the head with his heel. It seemed that Adrien's kwami had also reached a less emotional level than Marinette's kwami. "Hasn't been really active though, I don't know what's going on." Little black shoulders shrugged as Plagg snuggled back into his blond mattress, earning a grimace from his boy.

"Her powers are not strong enough to pose a threat that Volpina and Queen Bee cannot handle," Master Fu remained calm, not reacting when Wayzz settled next to him. "She always worked best with a teammate."

That struck Adrien deep inside his heart. Teammates. His parents had been teammates, just like him and Marinette. _And look where they ended up_ , he thought letting the thought sour his relaxation.

"It's different," Master Fu appeared to be reading Adrien's mind, "you two know that you are better as a team, better together than apart. Not all teams know this as a certainty."

Twin grins exchanged between the grim-covered heroes. They were a team, and a damn good one.

* * *

The bell rang signaling the end of the day, granting Adrien the freedom to flop backward in his seat. He smiled sideways as Nino slapped his shoulder. "Brutal test, man, but now we're free," Nino pumped his fist in the air making Adrien's smile broaden.

"What are we doing to celebrate, fellas?" Alya winked at Nino from her seat, giggling with Marinette as Nino flustered and nearly toppled off his chair onto the floor. A year of dating and Alya could still fluster Nino senseless, a fact that never ceased to amuse Marinette.

"Well," Chloe taunted from her own seat, "there is a party at my daddy's hotel." She spun around to direct the information to the whole class. "I guess you can all come if you want," classic sneer detracted from the appeal of the invitation, "there's a pool so bring your suits." Flouncing out of the room with Sabrina at her heels, the blond didn't wait for any acknowledgement.

"I don't know, you guys," Alya leaned thoughtfully forward, "swimming sounds great right now. And we have those new suits." Her best friend cocked her head toward Marinette, knowingly wiggling her eyebrows.

The boys stuttered on this information, Nino being the first to recover. "Sure, that's fine. She, like, didn't say what time though?" As if on cue, all the cell phones in the class buzzed with a group text from Chloe. "Well, problem solved I guess." Nino shrugged, waiting for the other's to input their thoughts.

"Meet you there?" Marinette shot at Adrien with a wink, copying Alya's earlier move. With the relief of finals being over, she felt her shoulders loosen, breathing just slightly easier than it had been that morning.

His mind faltered only for a second as it always did when Ladybug leaked out of Marinette. "Sure, sounds good!" He waved his hands awkwardly. Adrien had always prided himself on his cool and collected exterior and Marinette always found a way to shake that persona. If anything, it made him adore her even more.

Standing to leave, both girls kissed their boyfriends on their respective cheeks, leaving them behind to sort themselves out. Marinette knew that there would be no training that night. She knew that there wouldn't be any more training at all until they returned. It was Friday and while she should have been packing, Marinette decided that a party was exactly what she needed.

* * *

The upper deck of the hotel had been decorated with twinkling lights, music sounding from a stereo system that had Nino drooling. On the other side of the pool large tables were covered with food, from the fancy elevated silver dishes to the simple oversized subs stacked in an intricate pile. Milling around the rooftop were most of their classmates, some already splashing in the pool while others danced together on a wooden platform. The atmosphere hummed with the happy release of summer and the knowledge that school was behind them for the time being. The exuberant nature of the party was infectious and the four friends soon found themselves engulfed in cheerful conversation, energetic music, and delicious food.

Despite Alya's complaints, Nino darted off in the direction of the DJ table, hell bent on scoring some time sharing his own tracks. Lacing his fingers into Marinette's, Adrien relaxed into the party, desperate to feel like a normal teenager. He had never been one, going from high school shut-in freak to new kid superhero, but he thought for one night he could indulge in the idea of normalcy. He wanted to splash in the pool water with his friends, dance with Marinette, eat all of whatever scrumptious food he could get his hands on, and in general, just enjoy life for a minute. All of this would be left behind in a matter of days, and he was ready to shove that thought as far away as possible.

"Marinette!" Rose's squeal carried over to them as the bouncy blond jumped to hug his startled girlfriend. "Congratulations on your internship! Antonio Verdali was so smart to snatch you up!"

 _The cover story_ , Adrien thought to himself, still wondering how his father had pulled it off. Nathalie had arrived at the school in the middle of Friday, announcing to the class that Marinette had been chosen for an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to intern for up-and-coming fashion designer, Antonio Verdali, in London. Antonio was an old friend of the Agrestes who had indeed started his own design company the previous fall. His classmates had been told that the internship would extend for one month of the summer. Adrien had admitted sheepishly that he had begged his father to let him go as well, willing to appear like a clingy boyfriend to keep their cover. It had been true, at least in part; when he was presented with the idea of an internship for Marinette, he had refused to accept any other story for himself than following her. No one would have believed that he was heading to Belize for a month long photo documentary anyway. Marinette hadn't been in on the plan, so her amazement was genuine at the announcement. Releasing her hand, Adrien let himself wander away, leaving the girls to discuss fashion in London. He had experienced enough fashion in his lifetime and was far more interested in the large submarine sandwich that was calling his name from beyond the pool. He had barely gotten a grip on his chosen portion when a loud **_BANG_** caused him to drop it on the ground.

A chair flew into the back of Kim, Alex looking murderous in the place where she had heaved it from. Her shoulders rose and fell in compelled anger, cheeks puffing as the threats escaping her fueled her towards Kim. They had been laughing moments before and Adrien couldn't piece together what had changed so suddenly. Then Rose began wailing, clinging to an uncomfortable looking Marinette, loudly attesting to how much she would miss the blue-haired girl. His stomach dropped faster than his sandwich as an elegant blue figure rose over the edge of the balcony.

If the eyes of the woman in front of them hadn't gleamed with malicious intent, she would have been the definition of dazzling. The long deep blue dress clung to her body, separating at one hip showing the hint of indigo leggings wrapping wire thin legs. Curling onto the ground, the ends of the dress laid like resting feathers, glittering with the light of setting sun. Extending over one eye was the tip of a feathered headpiece, matching in color to the intricate design running down the sleeves of the dress, stopping at the fingertips of the wearer. Where Hawkmoth's suit would have been considered ordinary, with the exception of the creepy silver mask, this villain was torn straight from the runways of high fashion. Adrien wanted to fight her, but was also hesitant to wrinkle her.

His attention snapped to the fan flicking near her chin, registering that another remained closed in her opposite fist. It appeared to be constructed of glimmering feathers, the main structure looking solid, while the shimmering smaller feathers waved with every movement. Examining Alex's stalking back in his periphery, he saw the small sparkling feather sticking out from the back of her neck. Reaching forward, he plucked it out, crushing it in his hand before dropping it into the water of the pool. It broke apart slowly leaving glitter-like ripples as it disappeared.

A sinister smile broke on the calm feminine face. It was a face that combined beauty and evil, leaving Adrien convinced the woman had played a Disney villain in a past life. With the intention of engaging her, as he watched Marinette slip from the arms of a recovering Rose following her repeat of his feather crushing move, Adrien stepped forward to speak. "Does our party crasher have a name?" He flicked a careless finger toward the woman on the balcony, realizing how Cat Noir he would have looked to anyone bothering to pay attention.

"Le Paon," she smirked, taking a step forward.

Adrien noted Alya disappearing into a stairwell. "The peacock? Really? At least Hawkmoth's name was slightly creative. I mean, really," Adrien grabbed Alex's shoulder, trying to shake the humor back into her, "what if I started calling everyone by such obvious names. Rose, you are The Flower now, ok? And Kim, you can be Tall Dude." The party of teenagers laughed at Adrien's bad jokes, seemingly irritating Le Paon causing her to stop in her forward progression. "What happened to creative bad guys? Is there a naming dictionary we can get these baddies?" Adrien's resolve shook slightly as the blue villain began moving again.

"Make all the jokes you want, you little rich boy," the fan in her hand fluttered faster, loose feathers swaying to the top, "let's see how funny you find it when all your friends become raging balls of emotion." Her attention remained narrowed on Adrien, missing the entrance of Paris' female heroines. He wasn't sure when Chloe had slipped away, but he was glad to see her in her bee-themed jumpsuit. "Not everyone can lock away their emotions so easily. Isn't that right, Mr. Agreste?"

The rich boy comment hadn't landed, Adrien discarding it as assumption on her part due to their current location. The use of his name though, addressing an obvious flaw in his family line, hit home causing Adrien to stumble backwards in alarm. As he caught himself on the table, the orange streak entered the playing field, knocking into Le Paon from the side. A red ball collided with the blue form next, Ladybug following the path of her yo-yo to strike out at the slim figure with her feet. The last hit fell dull, as Queen Bee's trumpo barely knocked into the back of Le Paon's head.

Howling, the elegantly dressed villain whirled on the girls, both fans now open and twirling in fascinating patterns. Even with the unexplainably high heels and the flowing dress, Le Paon looked ready for a fight. "So there are three of you now?" she hissed through clenched teeth. "And where is your little boy toy? Too scared to come out and fight?"

Ladybug struck again, yo-yo flinging into the fabric-covered wrist, briefly knocking loose the hold on the fan. It clattered to the ground, shimmering ceasing to emit from its folds. Le Paon looked shocked, frozen between bending to retrieve the fan and utilizing the other one. The brief pause allowed Queen Bee to use her power, releasing the healing orbs directly into the chest of their opponent. Her power had never been concentrated on one target, and the effects of the strike doubled Le Paon over, hands clutching her chest. Snatching the fan from the ground, elegance and grace replaced with haste and anger, Le Paon rose into the sky. "This isn't over," she threatened, the blue streak flying away over Paris before they could consider following.

For a moment, everyone on the rooftop froze, starring at each other in confusion. When akumas terrorized their city, it usually took Cat Noir and Ladybug a few hours to get the situation under control. Hawkmoth also never showed his face to the public, outside of the giant akuma-made head in front of the Eiffel Tower. This feathery villain had arrived in person and had been defeated, at least for now, in the matter of minutes. Adrien scratched the back of his head, exchanging puzzled looks with Ladybug.

Mummers began to rise all around him, and it finally clicked in his brain why everyone was so confused. Ladybug they all knew, as well as Cat Noir who was decidedly absent from this fight, but there wasn't only a new villain in Paris. Standing in front of the shocked group of their peers were two new heroes, both female and both appearing to be very well trained. Adrien let a little pride sneak into his heart knowing that a part of that training was his doing. The new girls had been quickly forgotten following the incident with the Italian Stallion at the school, rumors being that those who claimed to have seen them were delirious with fear. Since then, Volpina and Queen Bee had trained with their counterparts under the moonlit skies of night patrol. Without a villain wreaking havoc on Paris, it had given them time to hone their skills in private, forgoing the awkward phase that had been publically broadcast when Ladybug and Cat Noir had gone through it.

Peeking around at his classmates, he noted the confused questions being fired behind cupped hands. "So," Adrien stepped forward toward Ladybug, "who are your friends, Ladybug?" He snapped his hand back when he realized that he almost wrapped it around the red heroine's waist. It would have been completely inappropriate for him to appear physically comfortable with someone that was certainly not his girlfriend; not to everyone else standing on the roof at least.

There was no disguising her proud smirk as Ladybug felt Volpina put an arm around her waist while Queen Bee rested an elbow on her shoulder. Somewhere in the crowd she heard a voice ask where Alya was, knowing that their bespectacled classmate would have loved the photo opportunity. To her right she heard Volpina snicker, restraining herself from joining in. "This is Volpina, the _real_ one," Ladybug did join in the fox's snicker the second time, "and this is Queen Bee." Both heroines waved, Ladybug noting that neither of them had anything verbal to add to the conversation. She thought it a bit odd, given their confident civilian personalities, but she let it go figuring she could ask them later. All three of them jumped when Queen Bee's hairclip emitted a loud beep.

"Gotta go!" Adrien heard Queen Bee shout, jumping over the side of the building while flashing a peace sign. It appeared that Queen Bee was taking on only some of Chloe's confidence, although the silliness still seemed to exist behind the mask alone. He understood this, as he had found his own humor hidden behind a mask.

"Tonight!" Ladybug yelled after her, before launching herself over the other side, dropping out of sight in the same way she entered. She flicked a friendly wave and a wink over her shoulder, which to Adrien's alarm, caused several whistles amongst his male classmates. Pushing down his jealousy, he cocked an eyebrow at the remaining heroine.

Volpina lingered, scanning the rooftop. Intended target found, she sauntered over to Nino, flicking a finger over his nose. "You are cute," she cooed, leaning close to Nino's face. Adrien couldn't hide his found hilarity in the situation, seeing Nino shift from pink to red over his cheeks. "Do you have a girlfriend, Glasses?" Alya was either testing Nino or outright messing with him, and Adrien found this funnier than he should have.

"Uh, um, well," Nino stuttered, leaning away from the impeding presence of Volpina, "I do actually, she's kind, well, she's great, really. Not that you aren't, you know, but, like, I love her and stuff?" Nino's back was pressed against a wall, snickers sounding from all around him.

The declaration stopped Volpina in her tracks. A smug look crossed her face as she patted the flushed cheeks of her unknowing boyfriend. "Lucky girl," she commented as Adrien snorted. The fox sprinted to the side of the building, flashing away as she called, "see you later party cats!"

Adrien liked the sound of party cats and decided he would log that away to use as a joke once his alter ego took over again. He wasn't a party cat as Adrien, but he certainly could be as Cat Noir and the puns practically wrote themselves.

* * *

Four sets of legs sat swinging on the edge of the observation platform of the Eiffel Tower. Sodas in hand, secured by Chloe before she left the party, they had contemplated all of the possibilities as to why Le Paon had been so easy to chase off. From the hilarious to the serious, they had enjoyed the time working together as a team to figure out their newest nemesis.

If they had been normal teenagers, they would have been discussing Alex and Kim's accidental kiss during a game of chicken, or Nino's incredible set when he took over as DJ. They could have discussed the amazing food provided by Chloe's dad, or the rare sight of seeing Marinette, Alya, and Chloe engaged in conversation. If they had the luxury of being normal teenagers, they could overanalyze each occurrence at the party, letting angst and hope cloud their interruptions. They could obsess on whose swimsuit looked the best or who had the best dance moves. But they weren't normal teenagers, they were teenage superheroes who were faced with the unknowns of a new enemy, so they sat together analyzing her instead of dramatically analyzing their friends.

The most solid idea was that she wasn't well trained. Even though she could appear intimidating, when forced to fight, the villain didn't seem to have a firm handle on the skill. There had been several jokes about how much her lack of prowess would frustrate Hawkmoth, the newest members of the team missing the deep scowl these jokes brought to Cat Noir's face. For it was only him and Ladybug that knew why Le Paon was a threat for Hawmoth, or that the two had any connection at all.

It had been a group consensus that the feathers somehow heightened the emotions of the those impaled with them, weirdly similar to Hawkmoth's manipulation of emotions, without the transformations or the fancy costumes. Ladybug had opined that it was possible that Le Paon didn't know the full extent of her powers, which meant that their team of four didn't either. What she didn't say out loud was what Master Fu had told her and Adrien about the dark nature of the holder's soul. It was this knowledge that had spurred her to ask Queen Bee to fire directly at the villain's chest. If the holder of the peacock miraculous had a dark soul and a wounded heart, Ladybug couldn't see how any other power would be as effective as Queen Bee's. Maybe if they healed the heart behind the Le Paon mask, they would be able to rescue the miraculous before it was corrupted. It was a solid plan, until the villain had up and flown away.

Cat Noir had struggled to refrain asking questions that would lead Volpina and Queen Bee to questions of their own. He wanted to ask Ladybug if she thought the kwami, only known to the two of them as Duusu, would have realized the darkened nature of her holder's soul. After potentially observing Nooroo being trapped with Hawkmoth, would Duusu have purposefully lied to prevent Le Paon from using the full force of the miraculous? He couldn't ask these questions in front of the other two, without having to answer questions about where some of the base knowledge had come from. The thought struck him sometime in his resistance to blurting out the heated questions in his mind that their teammates needed to meet Master Fu prior to them leaving Paris. Time, and a little bit of luck, had guided Ladybug and himself to Master Fu's loft, but he had a sickening sense that they were running short on both of those things. Without clearing it with Ladybug, he decided that even if she wasn't on board, he would lead the other teammates to Master Fu sometime tomorrow, making sure the introduction happened ahead of their departure. This thought lead him into another, deciding to initiate the conversation that he and his original partner had been avoiding all week. "Ladybug," he raised his voice slightly so it would sound more like a question.

Of course she knew what he was pushing to talk about. The selfish part of her wanted to ignore him, wanted to stay in this moment where the four of them felt like they fit. In the quiet weeks following the defeat of Hawkmoth they had gelled as a team, working together during patrol to gain a better understanding of one another. Volpina's strategic creativity was flourishing, while Queen Bee's protective nature of the group as a whole continued to surprise Ladybug. There were times when she found herself hugging Queen Bee, wishing that she could reach the Chloe portion of the heroine and convince _her_ to act the same way.

Her fear of telling them what was to come was crippling. When they told Volpina and Queen Bee that they were leaving, and subsequently couldn't tell them why, Ladybug was convinced that the harmonious nature of their team would fall apart. Queen Bee had trusted her without question earlier in the evening, firing her heart chakra exactly as Ladybug had instructed. None of them had hesitated to propel themselves toward the then nameless villain, trusting each other to protect the others without a doubt in their minds. Together, they had thrown themselves at the unknown, not an ounce of fear registering in any of them. They were a team now, and Ladybug's heart ached thinking that the knowledge of Cat Noir's and Ladybug's abandonment of Paris might rip an irreparable hole in that newly spun fabric.

Hesitant blue pigtails nodded in his direction, giving Cat Noir the go ahead. He always protected her, and by being the first to speak in this instance, he was surely doing so again. "Guys," he started.

"Girls," Volpina corrected, drawing out the word while flicking a finger between the three females.

"Ladies," Cat Noir amended, "you two have come a long way in a few short weeks, I have no doubt that Paris will be safe in your capable hands."

Confusion bounced between Volpina and Queen Bee, a ping pong ball of emotion playing between the two of them. "What are you talking about?" It was Queen Bee who spoke, taking the words out of Volpina's mouth.

"We," Ladybug hesitated, "we have to go away." Head hanging to her chest, Ladybug listened to the odd noises eliciting from her friends. "It won't be for long, but," this was the hardest part to get out, but the most needed, "if we don't come back, Paris will be yours to keep safe from harm." There was no need to lift her head, Ladybug knew what Alya sounded like when she was upset, registering that Volpina was currently sounding the same way.

"Why do you have to go?" Again, it was Queen Bee who was finding the resilience to ask questions.

Chancing a peek through the cover of her bangs, Ladybug almost fell forward at the narrowed slits in Volpina's mask. "It's a rescue mission," she wasn't sure this was what she should be telling them, but Ladybug went with it, "someone has enlisted us to rescue a loved one that was taken out of this country."

"Hm," was the only sound Volpina made, eyes now lowered to the Paris skyline.

"Well, then we'll go too! We are a team!" Queen Bee's enthusiasm increased the guilt building inside of Ladybug. It hurt her to know how much Queen Bee expressed her need for teamwork whenever she was hidden behind her alter ego, knowing that the other girl refused to express this desire in her everyday life.

"You can't," Cat Noir spoke too quickly, gaining him a glare from Volpina. "With Le Paon running loose, we need you both here. Volpina is the most skilled fighter and Queen Bee, your power is the most successful against her. If she comes around again, which she might, all you have to do is crush the feathers from her victim and then shoot her full of your scary light things." Cat Noir directed this last piece toward Queen Bee, the shudder of his shoulders ill-hidden. He had absolutely no desire to ever be struck by Queen Bee's power again.

The yellow and black heroine pouted into her remaining soda. Ladybug patted the other girl's knee, wanting to comfort her. When she met Volpina's eyes again, Ladybug saw the conspiracy theories running through Volpina's mind. Every ounce of her resolve was needed not to break under the considering stare of her best friend.

"How long?" Volpina spoke softly, the question being fired at her knees.

"Pardon?" Cat Noir was sitting next to her, but found even with his cat ears he couldn't make out her words.

Volpina tossed her hair over her shoulder as she straightened her back. "I said, how long? How long will you be gone for?"

"Less than a month," Ladybug struggled to keep herself calm. Alya always became eerily quiet when she was on the verge of a breakthrough, and Volpina shared the same tone and mannerisms in her question.

"We can handle that, right, Volpi?" Queen Bee was chipper as she clapped a hand on Volpina's shoulder. "You'll see, by the time they come back, we'll be better than they are!"

Ladybug starred, mouth slightly gapping, at the very positive Queen Bee. She had predicted that Volpina wouldn't simply accept her statements about leaving, but she never expected Queen Bee to go along with the idea so easily. If anything, she had expected Queen Bee to drill them with questions, demanding answers when Cat Noir and Ladybug were forced to be vague on the matter.

"I'm tired," Volpina announced, shoving from the metal base and onto her feet. "See you tomorrow night." She flashed away without hearing a response from the other teens.

It was difficult to watch her go, but Ladybug knew she needed her space. Whatever was bouncing around in Volpina's head would work itself out. Standing, Ladybug pulled Queen Bee to her feet, giving her a hug. "Would you meet us here tomorrow?" She felt the blond hair move against her cheek as her teammate nodded. "Noon, does that work?" More nodding. With a final squeeze, Ladybug jumped from the tower leaving the blond superheroes behind, mind already whirling with the need to get Volpina back to the Eiffel Tower the next afternoon.

"Are you going to hug me too?" Queen Bee shot at Cat Noir, disdain dripping from her words and the roll of her eyes.

Surprising her, Cat Noit launched forward, grabbing his oldest friend into a tight hold. He wouldn't be able to say goodbye to Chloe in the same way, and while he knew that she wasn't perfect, Cat Noir had watched his childhood best friend grow up over the past few weeks. He wasn't going to deny that he was both worried about her safety and proud of who she had become.

"Weird, ok," Queen Bee shoved his arms off of her, stepping back, "be careful. Make sure you protect Ladybug. If you don't, I'll hunt you down and kill you myself." A flick of her ponytail to emphasize her point and Queen Bee disappeared from the ledge.

Counting to 100, scrutinizing the skyline for any form of hero, Cat Noir launched himself from the platform, heading for the safety of Marinette's bedroom.

* * *

The hairbrush ran through Marinette's hair, aided by Adrien's fingers as he sat behind her on his bed, now taking the place of her lounge chair. The chair had been moved against the only open wall, leaving the space cramped but livable. Adrien was blissfully unaware that it had been Marinette that had requested the extra bed to be set up. She didn't mean any harm by the request, and they usually found their way to each other in the middle of the night, but the existence of a bed solely for Adrien made her feel more comfortable. As comfortable as one could feel sharing a room with a boy. Letting the gentle caress of now expert-level fingers lure her towards sleep, Marinette missed the sound of footsteps on her balcony.

Dropping into the room, Volpina snickered at her startled friends. "This is a new development, yes? One that you will surely repeat once you get to London?" Stunned faces starred back at her as Volpina moved through the room. "Where are your kwamis?" Volpina transformed, becoming Alya directly in front of them, a tiny orange kwami coming to rest on her shoulder.

"What in the-" Adrien tried to feign shock, failing miserably and causing Marinette to slap her forehead with her palm.

"You are both leaving for London, and the Ladybug announces that Queen Bee and I will be defending Paris on our own for a while," Alya spun Marinette's desk chair to sit on it, "I'm not a rocket scientist, but I do play one on TV." Alya crossed her arms over the back of the chair, resting her chin on her folded forearms. "Want to fill me in?"

At some point in his poorly feigned shock, Adrien had accidentally tangled the brush in Marinette's damp hair, reacting to the knot as if coming out of a dream. Picking at it delicately, he made a noncommittal sound in his throat. It had only taken a few weeks, but Volpina had finally put the pieces together. He was proud and envious at how quickly she had achieved this. There was also a nagging feeling in the back of his head reminding him that he hadn't put together Ladybug's identity in two years. Resigning to the fact that Alya was just plain smarter than him, Adrien settled back against Marinette to work on the hairbrush created tangles.

"We can't tell you anything," Marinette picked at invisible lint on the bed, grimacing when Adrien pulled at her knots. "We aren't going to London, that's just our cover, but I can't tell you where we are going, for your own safety. Le Paon was manipulating Hawkmoth, using him for whatever agenda she has. If anything were to happen, we can't have anyone knowing what we are up to. It could leave the people we care about in trouble." It was a rushed set of facts, brought on by Marinette's overwhelming need to tell Alya everything. There was so much guilt piling onto Marinette's chest she felt like Wil E. Coyote being smashed by his own anvil.

Hazel eyes settled on blue ones, reading the sincerity pleading behind Marinette's statement. "I suppose it would be useless to ask who you are rescuing?" Alya pursed her lips at Marinette's nod.

"My dad was Hawkmoth," Adrien blurted, unsure why he felt he had to tell Alya something. Le Paon already knew this information so he figured it wouldn't hurt and might relax the sting away from Alya's expression. The idea that they could leave Paris with their teammate, and Marinette's best friend, upset with them was making his stomach feel queasy.

"Makes more sense now," Alya chewed the inside of her cheek, looking only mildly surprised by the news, "she isn't a strong villain, but you said she was controlling Hawkmoth. I'm assuming she threatened Adrien, is that correct?" Again more nodding from Marinette. "And Adrien is staying here? All the parents are ok with this?" A set of twin nods met her questions. "I wonder if I can get someone to threaten Nino's life."

The giggle that bubbled up her chest, escaping to meld with Alya's and Adrien's, made Marinette relax back into Adrien. "Are you mad at me?" The question was tentative, Marinette worrying the loose thread on her PJ bottoms as she presented it.

"Yes and no," Alya answered truthfully, "I'll get over the yes part though." Flinging the chair back in its place, Alya stood, calling Trixx away from the other kwamis that she had been chatting with. "I won't tell the Bee about this either, although I am correct to assume that you both know who she is?" The two heads sheepishly bobbed up and down. "Hm, ok, I'll figure it out. Are we meeting tomorrow?"

It was Adrien that spoke, his response heavily tainted with sleep, "yeah. Noon at our spot. We have someone we want you to meet."

Marinette slipped from his grasp, crossing to Alya to fold her into a hug. "I love you, you know that, right?" the question was asked into Alya's shoulder as Marinette clung to her best friend.

"I do," Alya hugged back with equal intensity, "and I love you too." Releasing Marinette, Alya transformed, walking out of the bedroom and into the night.

* * *

The sun was barely kissing the rooftops of Paris as Adrien slid into the seat next to his father in the back of the black town car. He hadn't seen the man in almost ten days, noting that his father looked impossibly tired as he leaned back against the head rest. Neither had any words, lost in their own thoughts, never really knowing how to communicate with each other anyway.

Saturday had consisted of introductions and goodbyes. Ladybug and Cat Noir had taken Volpina and Queen Bee to meet with Master Fu, who would begin training their teammates while the original duo left Paris behind. It had also been their first glance of conscious Nooroo, although the kwami did little more than nod his head from his safe place tucked into a healing pillow. Master Fu had advised them that healing Nooroo was taking longer than expected and that he was hopeful that the kwami would be in high spirits upon their return. Adrien had desperately tried to believe Master Fu, forcibly ignoring the smile that never reached the older man's eyes.

Inside the bakery, Marinette placed the large basket of baked goods onto the dining room table, finding herself wrapped into her parents for what felt like the millionth time that morning. None of them had slept the night before, curling together on the couch with Adrien, watching old home movies and telling stories. The fatigue weighed heavy on Marinette's body, but she wouldn't have traded those last moments for anything. Tucked snuggly between her parents, she recalled the parting words exchanged with her teammates and with Nino, letting the tears fall against the fabric of her father's shirt. It had been two years since she had doubted her strength, almost too afraid to become Ladybug, and standing in the safety of her parents' arms, she felt that strength waiver once again.

Reassuring words flowed over her, intermingled with last minute requests to be safe. Somewhere in the words, her father asked her to bring back a souvenir causing all of them to laugh. It was her father's talent, she supposed, finding laughter in the midst of heartache. A smile reappeared when she realized that a similar talent belonged to her boyfriend and partner. Leaning away from her parents, Marinette kissed them both, wrapping her fingers around the handle of her suitcase, the other arm lacing through the basket of edibles. With a last look over her shoulder, Marinette walked through the door of the home where she had spent her entire life.

In the back of the car, he was waiting for her, wordlessly taking her hand, using the thumb of his other hand to calmly wipe away the single tear that rolled down her cheek. Marinette felt the strength and the care radiating from him, feeling safer with him than she would ever feel without him. The car began to move, her parents disappearing from her sight until it was no longer practical for her to continue staring back at them. Stiffly finding a place against the seat, Marinette jumped when she saw the orange flash appear over the car, followed almost instantly by a yellow blur. Their teammates stayed with them until they reached the city limits, turning toward the private airport, a silent goodbye mixed with a powerful reassurance that Paris was in good hands. If the worst happened, if Ladybug and Cat Noir never returned home, Paris would continue to be protected. Squeezing tighter to Adrien's side, Marinette felt her heart lock down, willing the emotions away and preparing for whatever may come.

* * *

 **You'll notice that the running reveal theme in this story is fairly calm. No one is dying, hurt, or overly dramatic, with the exception of Hawkmoth. This is purposeful, as I believe that the heroes have such strong faith in each other, that the caring and love creates an almost seamless transition. For Marinette and Adrien, it is like an instant solve of a rubix cube to discover each other behind the masks. For Alya, the knowledge was always there, she just decidedly looked the other way until it was smacking her in the face.**

 **Following this chapter the story lines split, one following Marinette and Adrien while the other will continue to focus on Paris and the success/failure/learning of the two new heroes. I am trying to balance the next chapter, but will continue to aim for a weekly update.**

 **Thank you to everyone who has supported this fic so far! If you so desire, please come find me on Tumblr: n3rdlif343va or Twitter: nerdlife4eva**


	17. Chapter 17

**This is a transition chapter and the first of the split story line chapters. In Paris, there will be both Chloe and Alya's points of view, while in London/Tibet the reader remains with Marinette and Adrien.**

 **Take solace in this chapter, because the next chapter (released next weekend) is anything but calm.**

 **If you want to chat about this story, come find me on tumblr as n3rdlif343va. Sometimes I post art for this story. (It isn't good, but it is there).**

 **Also, if you are an artist and have been reading this (especially if you take commissions), please reach out. My soft heart would love to see an artist's interpretations of some of these scenes.**

 **As always, thank you everyone who is supporting this story! I read every single comment (sometimes multiple times) and they mean so much to me!**

* * *

The long black car disappeared from her view, its sleek movements mocking the disjointed spin of Volpina's mind. Her partners were in that car. Her best friends were too. In an instant, half of her world had disappeared, heading to a place that she couldn't even identify to put their lives on the line for someone she didn't know. The weight of it all sank onto her shoulders, curving them in toward her chest as she idly clutched her flute to her leg. Everything in her wanted to continue to follow them, be there until the last second when they disappeared onto a plane. If she was fast enough, she could even follow the plane, find out where they were going and convince them it wasn't worth it. The twitch of her tail outwardly showed the war of emotions erupting inside of her as she took calming breaths to talk herself off of the proverbial ledge. She was minutes deep into a meditative state when the sound of feet skidding next to her brought her around into a fighting stance.

"What now? Wow, fangs away, it's just me!" Queen Bee had flipped herself across the street, landing neatly next to Volpina, flinging her hands in front of her face. She fought the urge to cheer for herself, excitement still her top emotion whenever she executed any superhero move with an ounce of grace. She was the slowest learner of the four of them, but she didn't care; Queen Bee loved every minute of being a superhero.

Volpina barely kept herself from jumping when the yellow blur had landed next to her. She hadn't realized that Queen Bee was following her, chastising herself for her lack of attention. "What are you doing here?" Cursing herself, Volpina realized that if Queen Bee reciprocated her question that she would have no explanation that wouldn't immediately reveal her identity. For the millionth time since she had become Volpina, she wondered how Cat Noir and Ladybug had managed to keep their secret for so long. She had theories on the idea, testing one on Nino the night that Le Paon had appeared, but without anyone to bounce them off of, Volpina found herself going insane with circular thoughts.

The distraction of the other hero gave Queen Bee time to formulate a story. She couldn't tell Volpina that her childhood best friend and her supposedly sworn enemy just disappeared around the corner to head for London. She couldn't tell her that she had set an alarm to be up and awake, so as to follow the car through the streets of Paris, watching two of the most important people in her life leave without knowing that she cared. Queen Bee couldn't say goodbye to either of them as herself, because Chloe never told anyone how she felt. Under the mask though, her heart was an open book, expanding and contracting with all the emotions it was finally free to feel. Adrien's announcement to leave for the summer had hurt her, almost as much as Marinette's announcement had. She would need a couch with a licensed professional in an adjoining chair to sort out that last thought, so Queen Bee shoved it away. "I couldn't sleep," she didn't lie, Queen Bee hadn't slept a wink the previous night, causing her alarm to be rendered useless, "so I decided to patrol when I saw you flashing around." It was on the tip of her tongue to ask Volpina what she was doing, but Queen Bee cut her loses, feeling lucky that Volpina only nodded in agreement and didn't press any further. "So, now what? Want to patrol?" Queen Bee didn't want to return to her empty room, with or without Volpina she was going to stay transformed.

A rumble sounded from Volpina's stomach, audible to the point of making both girls jump. "I guess I should eat something," Volpina let the embarrassed chortle catch the end of her sentence. "Cat Noir told me about this bakery," Volpina hesitated. Queen Bee hadn't been her favorite teammate, preferring to work with the confidence of Ladybug or the silly bravado of Cat Noir, but now, she was her partner, the other members of their team flying away from Paris on what Volpina could only figure was a suicide mission. "Do you want to go with me?" The hopeful sparkle in Queen Bee's eyes was disarming and Volpina knew that she had made the right decision. No matter what unease she had felt with the yellow and black klutz of a hero, she could recognize the need for acceptance when she saw it. Volpina's civilian self often reflected the same need, even if no one ever noticed.

"Yes!" Queen Bee bounced up and down, instantly regretting her enthusiasm and reigning herself in. "I mean, sure…" she walked to the edge of the building, hoping to appear casual, "lead the way."

With that, Paris' newest superhero duo bounded over the rooftops heading for the safety and warmth of a bakery they would both recognize in and out of costume.

* * *

It should have been a point of interest that neither Sabine nor Tom flinched when two new superheroes walked through the front door of their bakery; however, their easy acceptance and immediate desire to provide food swayed Volpina away from such thoughts. The Dupain-Cheng Bakery was one of her favorite places in all of Paris, the warmth and light exuding from every surface couldn't compare to the love and open-armed welcoming nature of the owners themselves. Her heart ached knowing that her best friend would be absent from this scene, forcing herself to stop considering that the absence could be permanent. Watching as Tom and Sabine lined boxes full of baked goods, Volpina yearned to ask them what they were thinking, desperate to know how they could possibly have smiles on their faces when Marinette had disappeared into a black car a mere hour prior. She would come back as Alya, knowing that she would be equally as accepted in her civilian form, and seek answers to all of those questions later.

Queen Bee impolitely leaned over the counter, excitedly asking questions about every treat that Ms. Cheng was loading into the signature bakery box. She had been in the Dupain-Cheng Bakery as Chloe, feeling required to keep up her known air of disdain for the couple's daughter which had robbed her of the chance to truly enjoy everything the bakery had to offer. It wasn't solely the mouth-watering sweets and breads that had her attention, but also the sweet laughter and loving expressions of Marinette's parents. Queen Bee wanted nothing more than to be a part of whatever inside joke the couple was sharing, her jealousy of Marinette's life growing with every wink and chuckle. Her childhood memories of her parents contained wisps of this kind of affection, and her chest began to burn with a fresh flame of grief for what she no longer had.

They accepted their boxes of wrapped treats, thanking the bakers profusely when they refused to let them pay. As the heroes headed for the door, a single soft voice called out to them.

"Girls," it was Sabine who spoke, crossing from behind the counter to pull them each into a hug, "this place is always open to you, _always_." She emphasized the last word, hugging them each again. "Don't be strangers, don't be afraid to ask for anything you need." Squeezing their elbows, she nodded at each of them, walking away before they could recover from the shock of the unanticipated support. Queen Bee felt the sincerity of the words, restraining herself from chasing down the small woman to ask for another hug. It had been a long time since she had felt the loving arms of a mother, and all of her craved even a second more of the feeling. At Volpina's nudge, Queen Bee's shoulders fell as they pushed through the doors of the bakery, scaling the side of the building to travel across the tops of Paris.

Moving silently, carefully balancing their tied boxes, Volpina and Queen Bee worked their way through the city, finally dropping down onto a rooftop that overlooked the school. The botany club had done a splendid job of creating their rooftop garden, and the soft grass and fresh flowers were a perfect place to enjoy an early morning breakfast. Sitting side-by-side on the sole swinging bench, Queen Bee and Volpina unwrapped their treats, quickly comparing and trading until their laps were filled with their favorite Dupain-Cheng items.

Volpina considered Queen Bee over the top of her croissant. During her sleepless hours of the past two nights, she had tried to piece together the identity of her last teammate. It hadn't been as easy as it was with Marinette and Adrien, the pieces of those puzzles being so numerous that Volpina had cursed her stupidity when the answers had finally dropped on her head with an unsubtle thud. She couldn't deny that she was hurt that Marinette had hid the secret, especially with her best friend's knowledge of how much Ladybug meant to Alya. The thought burned away at Volpina's stomach, making her place her flaky roll back into its box. She understood, of course, why Marinette hadn't told her, but that couldn't stop the pain, even when Volpina could acknowledge the irrational nature of it.

Now her best friend was gone. Volpina had let Marinette leave thinking that she had recovered from her anger, spending a portion of their time saying good-bye on Saturday reassuring her best friend that she was indeed over it. If Marinette didn't come back, Volpina swallowed hard at the thought of why she wouldn't, she didn't want her best friend believing that Volpina was angry with her. She would live with the pain of unresolved issues before she would bring that burden on Marinette. Her mind wandered to the face of her best friend, imagining her in the cabin of the Agreste private plane, anxiously worrying about whatever was coming next. She wanted to know where Marinette was really going, trusting that Adrien as himself and as Cat Noir would keep her safe, but also unable to convince herself that one teammate was enough. It would always be her opinion that the four of them should have tackled the secret mission together, and she couldn't see herself shaking the notion any time soon.

Closing her eyes, Queen Bee enjoyed the sun on her face as the raspberry filling of her tart tingled on her tongue. It was weird for it to be just the two of them, Queen Bee being convinced that Volpina hated her for her lack of skill, but she couldn't deny that there was a certain level of comfort in the situation. She didn't feel the need to talk to fill the silence, nor did she feel defensive whenever she felt Volpina's eyes on her. Somewhere between all of the bickering, she had grown to like Volpina, even when the orange heroine annoyed the spit out of her. There was hope, buried under the apprehension and worry, that maybe the two of them working together wouldn't be so bad. Peeking through slatted lids, Queen Bee noted the worried expression on Volpina's face, an expression so severe that even the mask couldn't hide it. She was working up her courage to ask Volpina what she was thinking when somewhere to her left, a buzzing noise caught her attention. Peering down at her trumpo, she raised an eyebrow at the noise, pressing on the gold bulb with her thumb. When it slid open to reveal a screen with Master Fu's face on it, Queen Bee cried out in confusion. Volpina scooted closer to her, peering at the screen with equals levels of misunderstanding.

"Queen Bee," Master Fu's eyes darted to the right of the screen, "ah, Volpina, good you are together." He cleared his throat as he continued, "please report to the training room as soon as possible. We have work to do." His image disappeared from the tiny screen.

"Did you know that thing could do that?" Volpina looked from Queen Bee's trumpo to her own flute, trying to figure out if the flute could also work in a seemingly similar manner as a phone.

Face scrunched, Queen Bee shook her head, "not a clue. It would have been nice if they would have told us." She could taste the bitterness on her tongue. Her therapist would say that she was entering the anger portion of the grief cycle, stating that losing friends in any way could spur grief. Queen Bee bit the thought back, shaking her head slightly.

Volpina heard the reflection of her own feelings in Queen Bee's tone, acknowledging that the bee may have more feelings on the subject of their hero partners leaving than she was letting on. Not feeling like dealing with anyone else's emotions, she let the subject drop, pushing up from her spot after tying her box back together. "Come on then," Volpina said, rolling her shoulders, waltzing to the side of the building, "we shouldn't keep him waiting." Not pausing to receive confirmation from her partner, Volpina flashed from the rooftop, headed toward the loft of the guardian.

* * *

The words muttered under Volpina's breath would have Trixx reprimanding her for hours after training, but Volpina couldn't find the energy to care as she pushed herself off the floor for what seemed like the hundredth time. Returning to the balance beam, she braced herself for impact, anticipating the strike from the baton being wielded by Master Fu. It struck her wrist, making her grit her teeth against the sting, as she used her flute to block the next blow. Without Ladybug's lucky charm to toss into the air, the pain and the bruises wouldn't be magically wiped away, and Volpina found herself once again cursing her best friend for leaving. She hadn't realized that the curse had been out loud, bringing their training to a crashing halt as her words hung in the air.

Queen Bee heard the angry words slip from Volpina, an acid-like accusation of abandonment made toward their teammate who was unable to defend herself. Defensively, Queen Bee snapped her trumpo into her hand, flicking the gold bulb toward her teammate to strike her in the arm. From her balancing beam, Queen Bee saw Volpina's eyes go dark, seconds ahead of the strike of Volpina's flute against a yellow and black side. Temper flaring, Queen Bee struck out again, this time wrapping the string of her trumpo around Volpina's ankle to drag her off of the beam, slamming her down onto the hard wooden floor. A low hiss emitted from the orange heroine as she yanked the string free, standing with a narrowed and calculated look on her face. The two began pacing each other in a circle, weapons drawn and faces conveying their individual desires to maim.

"Are you going to do something?" Wayzz appeared in a panicked flurry next to Master Fu as he stepped back, laying his training baton against the wall. Tiny green arms flailed as Master Fu shook his head, eyes never leaving the two heroines determinedly beating the hell out of each other in the middle of his training room. "They are going to kill each other!" Wayzz's concern laced with frustration as he swung arms back and forth between the two moving blurs. At the loud thwack which was emphasized by Volpina's loud cursing, Wayzz covered his ears with his hands, wincing away from the scene to face Master Fu.

"With Le Paon beginning to use her power, it would be best if these two worked out some of their emotions," Master Fu linked his hands behind his back, rocking back on his heels. "It wouldn't be of help to anyone to have them sympathizing with the over-emotional victims of Le Paon's feather darts, would it?"

Mouth snapping shut around his argument, Wayzz imitated his partner's stance, swaying back and forth in mid-air. Twisting only his upper body, he watched in amazement as the heroines struck each other repeatedly, each strike gradually losing force as the scrimmage continued. Tired eyes flicked to the purple kwami still snuggled into a pillow, watching his counterpart until his attention returned to the now sobbing miraculous holders, bunched together in the middle of the floor. It seemed that his partner was right about one thing, these two had more than their fair share of emotional issues to sort out. Fleeing from the sound of crying girls, Wayzz abandoned Master Fu's side with a shake of his head.

Approaching the mass of orange and yellow, Master Fu squatted down in a way that was much easier in his younger days. Waiting until their cries had calmed, he placed a calm hand on each shoulder, nodding over his own in a command to follow him. His body creaked as he stood, shuffling into the next room and settling himself on a plush pillow. It took less than a minute for his newest heroines to follow suit, finding themselves a place on their own pillows. "Feel better?" He spoke the question with his eyes closed, body held in a perfect meditation stance.

Volpina rolled her eyes and copied Master Fu, folding her legs in front of her and placing her hands palm up on her knees. She did feel better, along with feeling utterly ridiculous for attacking her supposed partner. Her behavior made her feel ashamed, listing all the superheroes in her head that would never act the way while scolding herself for acting out. It wasn't Queen Bee's fault that Ladybug and Cat Noir had left, she had been an easy target though and Volpina had taken advantage of it. That made her feel even more ashamed than her actual actions.

The quiet made Queen Bee's stomach churn in anticipation of being scolded. She couldn't answer why she had struck out at Volpina, even if an answer had been demanded from her. Such request never came though, Master Fu sitting wordlessly in front of them, leading their meditation by example instead of by instruction. Closing her eyes, Queen Bee willed away her anger, pushing down her sadness until even her very skin felt numb. Numb was a safe feeling and she would embrace it for as long as she could.

"At some point," Master Fu's voice was low and caused both girls to lean forward to hear him, "Le Paon will attempt to attack again, and will eventually sort out that you two are alone." He slyly observed the two heroes exchange nervous glances, pursing his lips before moving on. "She is most likely hiding now, embarrassed with how the last fight ended, but it won't be for long. Do you know how to handle her?" His plan was not to give them any answers. Ladybug and Cat Noir had functioned without him for almost a year, and he would have liked these heroes to do the same, only heeding the request of the other two because of the extenuating circumstances. Queen Bee and Volpina did not have Ladybug's luck guiding or protecting them now that the red heroine had left Paris, and it was up to Master Fu to pick up the slack. Not that he was going to make it easy on them by any means.

Nods and head shakes shot between them, as Volpina and Queen Bee vied to remain mute. It wasn't that they were scared of Master Fu, although there was a level of intimidation that they had both acknowledged, together and separately. Small in stature, big in aura is what Volpina's father would have said about the man. Finally rolling her eyes in frustration, Volpina took the first turn at speaking. "Remove the feathers from the victims, crush them, and then Bee hits her with all she's got." Sounded simple enough and Volpina sounded confident in her answer.

"And if that doesn't work?" Master Fu enjoyed his role as devil's advocate almost as much as he had enjoyed his role as matchmaker.

"We kick her butt?" Queen Bee suggested, shrugging at Volpina who couldn't suppress the giggle into her hands fast enough.

They both regretted their actions when Master Fu heaved a sigh from his pillow. "That's not a good enough answer," he leveled his stare between the two girls, now flushed and starring into their laps. "She will get stronger, even without her kwami's help, and it is up to you two to stop her." Unfolding himself, Master Fu walked from the room, leaving them behind to contemplate their individual anxieties.

Standing first, Volpina put a hand out to Queen Bee, lifting her from her pillow. Most days, Volpina was convinced that she was the better of the two of them. Today, she was willing to acknowledge that they were both pretty rotten at their newfound roles. Shrugging to Queen Bee instead of speaking, Volpina moved through the training room, climbing through the window without another word.

Queen Bee followed, unaware of the calculated contemplation of the purple kwami, who couldn't place where he had seen her before, his still recovering brain finally giving up the effort as he fell back to sleep.

* * *

Three days. Three days had passed since Marinette had left the safety of her parents' home, climbing into a car with her boyfriend and his overly stoic father to head to London. In all of the planning, Marinette had never actually planned to be in London for any amount of time, and had definitely not anticipated actually working alongside of the famous designer, Antonio Verdali, for any span of time. This had been her cover story, and yet she found herself propped at a drafting desk, buried in a design of a series of wedding gowns and attendant's dresses, fingers flying over her paper like they had a mind of their own. It was a dream come true, in the middle of an ever-evolving nightmare.

Adrien leaned on the door jamb, admiring Marinette's concentration as she nibbled on her tongue, nose so close to paper in front of her it was a wonder that she could draw at all. He had spent his days talking with his father, with the aid of a mediator, in an attempt to sort out all of their complicated feelings with each other. The meetings alone were a convincing factor for Adrien that his father thought he was going to die; this resounding thought being the only one he had ever kept from Marinette. He didn't need his fears to become hers, and it was quickly becoming his mission to give her every luxury and happiness ahead of leaving for whatever horror would greet them in Tibet.

Antonio had called it a day hours ago, leaving Marinette alone in the room, highlighted only by the single lamp and the rays of the early evening sun. Attraction getting the best of him, Adrien pushed away from the door, light fingers flicking through the loose strands of Marinette's hair. She jumped slightly, blurry eyes lifting from her work to squint at him. Using his index finger, Adrien flipped the page over the desk, whistling his appreciation. "You are incredibly talented, m'lady," his eyes studied every line, quickly registering that she had stacks of completed work sitting beside her. A sickening disappointment coated his stomach, hating that this opportunity wasn't real for her, at least not in the way everyone thought. Antonio had already raved about her work, commissioning her to complete an entire line and paying her handsomely in addition to giving her credit for the creation. It would be a part of his own release, and Marinette had been genuinely excited for the opportunity, even if it would be over the next morning.

Unfortunately, she had also pushed herself to work long hours, in hopes of finishing ahead of their departure. It had caused a few arguments between them, Adrien wanting to spend as much time together as possible and already feeling robbed of time when his father had placed them in separate rooms. The awkward conversation about his father's motivations for doing so still burned in Adrien's mind, making him shudder every time they resurfaced. Noting Marinette's roll of her shoulders, Adrien moved around behind her, using his strong fingers to massage out her knots.

Humming in pleased relief, Marinette leaned back against her boyfriend. She knew that she had been unfair to him, taking the challenge of designing with Antonio as an opportunity to forget why they were there, while Adrien was spending his days in therapy sessions with his dad and being forced into scripted photo shoots. Marinette also understood that Adrien needed to be comforted and reassured, as much as she needed to stay distracted. For the first time in their relationship they were finding themselves out of sync and she really wanted to remedy that. Pulling at one of his hands, she leaned into his touch, kissing his wrist as she spun on her stool. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she lifted her face to accept his kiss.

The world could fall apart, collapse at his feet and reach a point of true Armageddon, and Adrien knew he would survive, solely on the healing power of Marinette's kisses. All of the uncertainty, all of the nerves that had been rubbed raw over the past three days, disappeared into the wind, blown away by the powerful feeling of Marinette wrapped into his arms, trusting him to protect her and love her. He was absolutely certain that her magic extended far beyond the reaches of what Tikki gave to her.

Pulling away, Marinette snuggled into Adrien's abdomen, feeling him relax against her. "Let's do something tonight, you and me," she made the suggestion into his stomach, rubbing her cheek against the expensive fabric of his t-shirt.

"Already on it," he kissed the top of her head, holding her tighter, "put a bathing suit on and I'll grab the bikes. Meet me in the garden in ten minutes." With a last kiss, he waved over his shoulder, grinning as he sprinted toward the kitchen.

Stacking her last draft on top of the other completed ones, she shut off her light, hoping that tonight they could ignore the doom of tomorrow, and be together in happiness, even if only for a little while.

* * *

Above her, the canopy of the forest created a dense cover, a protective layer that made her feel as if they were the only people in the world. The greens and browns created a bubble around the bike trail, isolating them from the pressures of their lives, leaving them to ride in peace, the worries of real life left scattered on the ground in front of the Verdali household. Tikki bounced happily in the basket of Marinette's bike, sometimes closing her eyes to enjoy the slight breeze created by the sped of the wheels. In front of her, Plagg was complaining about the rocky path, Adrien seemingly unable or unwilling to avoid all of the bumps as they peddled toward the lake.

The glassy lake had been Adrien's discovery on his second day hiking the woods that surrounded Antonio Verdali's house. He had fled from the indoors following a particularly heinous hour with his father, seeking a release of tension and feeding his need to escape. He had come across the lake, taking in the smooth slope of one side of grass which gave easy access to the water. It wasn't cold, and wasn't hot, instead falling somewhere between a warm bath and a cooling cup of tea. The picnic basket banged against his hip as his legs moved in fast pace, eager to steal Marinette away to his new favorite place.

Green gave way to deep blue as the path wound toward a small lake. Marinette squinted, unsure if what she was seeing was real, the still liquid looking more like the surface of a mirror than a body of water. Pulling her bike to a stop next to Adrien, she breathed in the rich scent of the hanging trees, letting it relax her as she dismounted, propping her bike against a tree. Accepting the hand offered to her, she let Adrien led her toward the water.

Spreading a blanket onto the ground, they cuddled together, picnic basket opened at their side, laughing as the kwamis dove in first to retrieve their own food. Lifting sandwiches from the basket, Marinette handed one to Adrien, and settled back against his knees to consume her own. The only noises were the sounds of the woods, singing birds, rustling leaves, which added a peaceful ambiance to their meal. They ate in silence, never moving away from each other's touch, offering each other bites of different foods with suggestive glances and careful fingers. Moments like these made Marinette realize how lucky she was to have found a real partner. Someone who brought her comfort and peace, without even uttering a single word. Full of food and easing back into her own happiness, Marinette rearranged her body to lay flush between Adrien's legs, closing her eyes to rest her cheek on his chest as he laid back on the blanket.

Idly running his fingers through her hair, Adrien stared at the ceiling of trees, content to remain in the same spot forever. If they stayed there, wrapped together in a place no one would look for them, maybe tomorrow would never come. If they never got on the plane, if they never left the safety of their hidden lake, they would never run the risk of losing each other. Adrien could acknowledge the selfishness of his thoughts, even if he couldn't convince himself to push them away. He felt Marinette shift over him, bringing his eyes to admire her beautiful blue ones.

"Is it safe to swim in there?" She was sitting up, propping herself on her knees with her hands at the edge of her sundress.

Adrien caught himself swallowing hard before he could answer. "I jumped in yesterday, and I haven't grown an extra arm or a third eye, so I would say yes." He was struck dumb when she flicked the dress over her head, revealing a red bikini. Standing, Marinette offered him her hand, smirking when he starred at it with a glazed expression. Recovering, Adrien took her hand, letting her pull him up. When he removed his own shirt, kicking his shoes aside, he convinced himself he was hallucinating the way she was looking at him.

Her brain was only partially functioning as they headed to the water. Marinette scolded herself, mentally reviewing the fact that in less than twenty-four hours they were going to be in the closest proximity they had ever been, safety not allowing for more privacy than could be achieved behind hand covered eyes. Willing herself to suddenly mature, she permitted herself to thoroughly review all the lines of Adrien's body, telling herself it was an act of maturity and self-preservation to be familiar with each detail.

They splashed and teased each other in the warm water, laughing and swimming until exhaustion settled around them like a thick blanket. It was exactly what they needed, the time alone not to plan or move toward an objective, but time to merely exist with one another and remember all the reasons they belonged together. Their lives had been devoid of any carefree time, and they took this time to enjoy being in the moment, surrounded by only their love and laughter.

Wet hands swinging between them, they flopped onto the blanket, once again finding themselves tangled, this time both on their sides facing each other. Brushing the matted blue hair from Marinette's face, Adrien smiled, in a relaxed way that he hadn't done since the day he had discovered his father with his arm around Matteo in his dining room. Life had carried the haze of disappointment and anger, those feelings now existing behind the love and happiness dancing at the front of his mind. "M'lady," he smiled, pressing a kiss to her forehead, "your hair is a disaster."

Marinette burst out laughing, slapping out at Adrien's bare chest. Preventing her response, he cupped a hand over hers, holding it in place on his bare skin. Shifting forward, he leaned in to kiss her, shifting his weight so he rested partially on her. The change in mood happened quickly, going from playful and relaxed to heated and heavy in a single breath. She let herself get lost in it, until the clearing of tiny throats reminded her that they weren't alone. Peering around Adrien's shoulders, Marinette spotted Plagg with his arms crossed floating next to Tikki whose little red hands were covering her eyes. Wincing with embarrassment, Marinette buried her head into Adrien's shoulder, making him chuckle. Tikki would lecture her later, and Marinette bit her lip anticipating the awkwardness of that talk.

Untangling themselves, Adrien stood first, fidgeting with his swim trunks as he located his shirt and tossed Marinette her dress. They gathered the blanket and the picnic basket, as Tikki and Plagg settled into Marinette's bike basket, with Plagg loudly proclaiming that Adrien had been trying to kill him on their ride there. Their laughter filled the forest as they rode back to the house, leaving behind the last of their relaxation in the waters of the lake.

* * *

There was no sun to speak of as Marinette and Adrien stood on the steps of the tiny plane, listening to the instructions being given by Gabriel Agreste. Large bags were strapped to their backs, containing supplies for approximately five days of strenuous on-foot travel. If they weren't able to locate and recover Adrien's mom within those five days, they would either have to barter for more supplies and pray that they could communicate with their pilot that they needed more time or abandon their mission altogether. As it stood, their pilot would arrive at the rendezvous point five days from the time that he dropped them off. If they weren't there and hadn't communicated with him, their chances of being stuck in the remote portions of Tibet increased to overwhelming levels. With a final press of travel papers into their hands and awkward hugs for all of them, Gabriel wished them good luck and disappeared into the back of a waiting car.

Securing their bags into the strappy holds at the back of the plane, they took their seats in the tiny cargo hold. This plane was strikingly different than the private jet that had brought all three of them to the main Tibetan airport. It couldn't hold more than five people at a time, including the pilot, and had none of the luxuries afforded on a larger plane. It was designed to land in the mountains, giving it a sturdy but shaky feel as it took off from the long runway. Marinette watched as the ground disappeared, the signs of city life quickly evaporating from her view.

If someone had told her two years ago that she would be on a tiny plane, headed to the hills of Tibet to rescue her boyfriend's mother, she would have told them that they were insane. Even thinking about it now, as she was living it, the story felt implausible. This was her life now, potentially the last part of her life, and she was having trouble wrapping her head around the reality of it.

The scenery outside of the plane changed from the cityscape to sparse towns comprised of crumbling buildings. Despite it being a plateau, Tibet had plenty of foothills in its landscape, along with being surrounded by mountains. The colors were drab once they were away from the city, the ground a consistent meld of browns, dull greens, and grays. Few clouds scattered the sky, leaving the sense of a controlled environment, one where the color of the sky fell into stringent monochromatic guidelines. Adrien began playing a game with himself, counting out of the window the number of people he spotted, adding a category to his game for animals when the amount of people became increasingly disappointing. It hit him, as the plane continued to bounce along its course, how entirely alone they were going to be once they stepped away from their flying metal transportation.

Landing gear folded from the bottom of the plane, creaks and cracks bring alarm to Marinette's face as she reached out for Adrien's hand. He held her delicate fingers tightly, always amazed at how satiny her skin remained despite all of the fighting they did. Wrapping their fingers together, he felt her grip vice against his as the plane joggled against the ground. His breath hitched in his chest, feeling the finality of the landing all around him.

Unhooking her seatbelt, Marinette stood to collect her bag, feeling Adrien move behind her to do the same. Their pilot moved into the cabin to lower the staircase, handing them a piece of paper with the planes coordinates, radio handle, and the pilot's cell number, reminding them to be back in that exact spot in no more than five days. Pointing toward a small village, visible on the ridge of a foothill, their pilot wished them luck and advised them that they may be able to acquire a ride once there, the emotion in his voice unreadable.

Adrien reached for Marinette's hand, linking their fingers together as they began their hike directly into the face of the unknown.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chloe and Alya are in Paris, Marinette and Adrien are in Tibet.**

 **As this story gets longer, please let me know if anyone needs a recap in the action so far. I know it is hard to read stories like this chapter by chapter. If you need a recap, please feel free to DM me or find me on Tumblr/Twitter!**

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 **And also a huge thank you to callmecirce over on Ao3 who has graciously spent time helping me spot errors in previously posted chapters! Please go look at all the wonderful fanfics written by this author as well! And go check out my buddy, ShallowAssumptions' newest fic here on fanfiction!  
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* * *

For a third time in one week, Alya sat swinging her legs perched on top of the counter of the Dupain-Cheng Bakery. Marinette wasn't there, but Sabine had proved a worthy substitute, carrying the same light and laughter into a room as her blue-haired daughter. It was routine now, Alya arriving early in the morning to help prep the bakery for the day, kneading bread and exchanging stories with Sabine and Tom. Despite Alya's mom being pretty wonderful in her own right, Alya had come to acknowledge that Sabine was serving as both a surrogate best friend and a second maternal figure, not pushing herself to consider why either of those outlooks could be problematic. Her heart missed Marinette more than she was willing to vocalize and her time in the Dupain-Cheng Bakery was only putting a Band-Aid over that wound.

Nino had teased her about eating too many sweets, never letting the joke drop until Alya had stormed from his house, curses flinging behind her like daggers. If she wanted to ease the ache of her missing piece through sweet carbs and time with Marinette's parents, then that was exactly what she was going to do. Luckily for him, Nino had finally caught on to Alya's perpetually fraying mood and had now been non-stop in his efforts to cheer her up. Thinking about his loveably dopey face made Alya smile into her lap as she sipped her hot chocolate.

Sabine nudged Alya as she walked by, flashing a knowing look. Alya's cheeks flushed, instantly worried that Sabine would attempt to have the same talk with Alya that she had tried to have with Marinette. Her own mother had attempted that talk, and that was all the awkwardness Alya could handle for a lifetime. Brushing crumbs carefully into her palm, Alya leapt from the counter as the front door banged open. Turning, she snarled at the one blond she could do without on every day of the week.

 _Maybe it had been foolish to come here_ , Chloe thought looking into the harden gaze of Alya as they stared each other down across the store. She had felt so welcome when she was there as Queen Bee, and Chloe had found herself craving that openness, driving her impulsive decision to waltz into the bakery. As she was met with judgmental eyes, drawing her back up to a perfect pole, Chloe felt the challenge rise in her chest. Marinette, she had learned to tolerate, and maybe more if she let herself slip along enough to admit it, but Alya… Alya she would never like. The confidence and cockiness that laid on Alya's shoulders like battle armor made Chloe want to kick her in the shins. It was a contrast to the false confidence that Chloe exuded on a daily basis, which made Chloe unbelievably irritable.

"Why are _you_ here?" Alya moved in front of the counter, taking an aggressive stance as a method to protect Sabine from Chloe's venom.

Chloe popped her hip, flicking her ponytail over her shoulder. "Um, this is a bakery, what do you think I'm doing here? Don't you normally claim to be smart or something?" Smirking at Alya, Chloe pushed passed her, stumbling when Alya elbowed her side. "Excuse you, rude," Chloe snapped, shoving Alya back.

A bunched fist at her side, Alya twisted toward Chloe, mouth opening to bite off a response.

"Girls!" Sabine's exclamation had them blushing and dropping their heads like children being reprimanded for stealing cookies. "Good morning, Chloe," Sabine returned to her normally pleasant demeanor, not addressing the shoving incident any further, "can I get you something?"

Her heart swelled in her chest as Chloe looked into the kind eyes of Marinette's mother. What she wouldn't give to round the corner and receive another hug. Unfortunately, Chloe wasn't Queen Bee and it seemed hugs were only for superheroes. "Bonjour," Chloe peered into the case of sweets, spotting a tiny blue and white cake, "could I please have that cake? It is my father's birthday and I would like to surprise him." Next to her, Alya made a surprised noise which Chloe ignored with a roll of her eyes.

Retrieving the cake from the case, Sabine showed it to Chloe prior to placing it on the back counter, piping a wish of happy birthday onto the top of it with blue icing. Fascinated, Chloe observed Sabine's careful movements, the gentle skill of baker's hands leaving Chloe with her mouth hanging open. When a finger pushed her jaw back up, Chloe swatted out, catching Alya's hand and shoving it away. Her scowl stayed in place until Sabine handed her the signature bakery box over the counter.

"Please tell your father that we said happy birthday," Sabine waved a hand at Chloe when she went to hand her a credit card, "that one is on the house, my dear." The kind smile pierced Chloe's heart, etching a place in the softening stone for Sabine Cheng. "Please don't be a stranger, come any time!" A floury hand patted Chloe's which was resting on the counter. It was a simple gesture, but it made Chloe feel warm inside, which was more than she could have hoped for when she walked into the bakery.

Anger filtered into Alya's mind, filling it to the brim with the need to scream. This was her sanctuary, the place she came to avoid her feelings about missing Marinette. She did not want Chloe intruding on her time. Glaring hard at the side of Chloe's face, Alya waited until she was out of the store to soften her smile again, turning it on Sabine. "Why would you tell her to come any time? She is only going to want free things now!" She was stomping her foot as Sabine came around the counter to hug Alya.

"I think she could use a friend right now," Sabine spoke softly, running a calming hand on Alya's back, "I think you both could." Dropping her arms after a soft squeeze, Sabine returned to her duties behind the counter.

The world could end, leaving Alya stranded only with Chloe and she still wouldn't be her friend. In fact, she would feed Chloe to the vultures if given the chance and double her amount of survival supplies. Huffing an indiscernible breath, Alya hugged Sabine one more time and headed back out into the real world.

* * *

For the second time that day, Alya was questioning why she had let Nino convince her to attend the French Open. The crowd was intermittently as loud as thunder or as quiet as a proverbial mouse. Around her, other spectators showed their nerves about the match, nails being bitten, knuckles being cracked, and softs _ohs_ and _ahs_ floating over the packed stadium. Being in the middle of all these people was stressful for Alya and she found herself wondering if there was any way to escape. While contemplating this idea, she missed the action on the court, only reacting as the ring of metal on hard clay brought outrage to a handful of people around her. Reconsidering the court below her, Alya witnessed one of the players charging toward a ref, the coach and a ball boy grabbing him around the waist to pull him away. The yells echoed throughout the stadium as spectators began to verbally fight each other in support of their favorite players. Alya watched the scene unfold with mild interest, until her eyes caught a glimpse of blue rising over the lip of the stadium, a sickening feeling settling in her stomach. Strong emotions raged all around her and Alya swallowed hard against the lump in her throat. Of course Le Paon would show herself in the middle of this madness, her blue feathers craving to penetrate the skin of the most emotional victims.

To her dismay, Nino was screaming next to her, face bright red with anger toward whichever player he wasn't supporting. Grabbing a fistful of his t-shirt, Alya dragged him from his chair, pulling him abruptly into the tunnel that led to the concession stands, scanning the area for a safe place. Noting a propped door a few feet to her left, Alya shoved a protesting Nino directly into the supply closet. Questions tumbled from his mouth, demanding to know what had gotten into her. Thinking quickly, Alya went for the best option to distract her boyfriend, shoving his back roughly against the shelves of cleaning supplies and kissing him until he was pliable in her hands. She could feel the fight leaving him as his body relaxed into hers, falling for the misdirection of teenage lust. Lingering in the kiss, Alya used the time to formulate her excuse as to why Nino would stay in the supply closet and she wouldn't. Ensuring his inability to leave, Alya let her fingers trail over him, in a way she knew would redirect his thoughts to a precise location on his body. Finally pulling back, she snickered at the daze hanging over her cute boyfriend's face. Alya wrapped her hand into Nino's, tugging him to the ground. "Baby," she cooed, the words being spoken directly into Nino's ear in a tone that had him blushing, "stay here, okay? I'll be right back." In his haze, Nino nodded, goofy smile splayed across his face.

It would be so easy to remain in the closet, hidden from the world and avoiding the obligation to fight. Unfortunately, easy was no longer an option. Standing, Alya slipped from the supply closet, moving to a place where she could transform without prying eyes.

* * *

 _Pop! Grunt. Pop! Grunt._ The rhythm of the tennis match was steadily increasing the intolerable headache that Chloe had been fighting all day. At home, she had happily set up decorations around the dining room table, already discussing the menu for his father's birthday dinner with the chef. She was excited to surprise her dad, and she would have much rather remained closed off in her room until that time. Sighing she placed her chin in her hand watching the fuzzy ball bouncing over the court without an ounce of invested interest.

Her father had asked her to take his tickets to the match, citing that he did not have time to attend but that it would look bad if the seats went unused. Regrettably, Chloe had dragged Sabrina along, the incessant chatter of her supposed best friend rattling in her head along with the painful throbbing. There was nothing appealing about the sport being played only a few feet from her, until a referee accidentally interfered with a play and the player to Chloe's right went completely ballistic. Although his words were in a dialect that Chloe couldn't understand, his raging body and flaring arms were enough to tell her all she needed to know about his opinions. For a brief minute, Chloe's interest in the court spiked, squealing into Sabrina's side as a tennis racket bounced from the court, narrowly missing her head as it ricocheted into the crowd. It was then that the noise behind her began to break into her bored haze, causing Chloe to examine the crowd in a more sensitive way. Despite her disinterest in the event, it seemed everyone else was wearing their emotions on their sleeves, small to large spats breaking out throughout the entire crowd. Dread soaked into the pores of her aching brain, eyes beginning to dart over the crowd, finally understanding what she was seeing.

High emotion rose from every word and every action of the thousands of people gathered in a single location. If there was ever a time for Le Paon to reappear, it would be now.

The thought smacked into Chloe's mind, adding to the already intolerable level of pain. Grabbing Sabrina's hand, Chloe tugged her from the seat, continuing to pull Sabrina until they were clear of the stadium gates. Without explanation, Chloe shoved her squawking friend into the back of Chloe's car, promptly giving her driver instructions to get Sabrina as far from the stadium as possible. Yes, sometimes Sabrina drove her nuts, but there was no way Chloe was going to let her get hurt. They had both had their own prior akumatizations, and neither wanted to ever be controlled like that again. With Le Paon on the scene, everyone was at danger, and Chloe couldn't chance Sabrina being caught in the crosshairs. Waiting only to watch as the black car disappeared around the corner, Chloe ducked and moved in between other parked cars. Ensuring she was alone, Chloe called for her transformation, readying herself for the potential of a fight.

* * *

Volpina crouched at the tunnel entrance, guiding as many people as she could reach into the tunnel and out of the stadium, eyes only leaving the stadium floor for seconds at a time. The blue figure was an entrancing elegance in the middle of the chaos, calming waving her fans in both hands, blue feathers flying free with every vibration. Some hit their marks with ease, bringing both tennis professionals into a physical altercation, and a host of refs into a heated argument which had elevated to shoving. Some spectators had also joined the ranks of the fighting, while others wept into their hands, unable to move or escape their crushing sadness. Those that were lucky had contained themselves, fleeing in droves from their seats, ducking and dashing away from the blue feathered darts.

Le Paon was an unknown to most of Paris, despite the Ladyblog's best attempts to warn the citizens about the potential new danger. Unlike Hawkmoth, Le Paon was not a faceless villain, appearing once again in person, instead of hiding behind telepathically controlled innocents. Her beauty was a devastating weapon, drawing handfuls of people in to her, instead of driving them away in fear. Even from her high perch, Volpina noted the shimmer of the blue dress and the way it made all of Le Paon seem as if she was glowing. The villain was the type of beautiful that could launch a thousand ships or send an entire country to war.

Or, as was happening on the field, reduce her victims to the will of their strongest emotions. Volpina hypothesized that in pure form, Le Paon's power would encourage positive emotions, such as courage and bravery. In the corrupted form, her power seemed to only pull out negative emotions, anger and sadness being the predominant two from what Volpina could tell. While it made sense that anger would be a viable trait in building a fighting army, Volpina failed to understand the usefulness of sadness. Heaps of sobbing adults were scattered throughout the stadium, rendered useless by their overwhelming desire to cry and cling to one another. They seemed of no use to anyone whatsoever and Volpina decided that it was a riddle for later.

A spark of yellow caught Volpina's eye as Queen Bee entered onto the court from a side entrance, crouched and attempting not to be noticed. The smirk on Le Paon's face, along with the subtle eye dart to Queen Bee's position told Volpina that Le Paon was not entirely stupid. She knew Queen Bee was there, and that put Queen Bee in danger. Cracking her neck, both in preparation for the fight and out of frustration for Queen Bee's always expected ignorance, Volpina flashed down to the next platform of the stadium, moving silently to remove and crush the blue feathers from all victims that crossed her path. Once their trances were evaporated, she encouraged them to flee the stadium as fast as their feet could carry them. None of them argued, which made her life so much easier and Volpina continued the pattern, moving through the layers of the stadium releasing as many victims as her fingers could reach.

From her position on the ground, Queen Bee observed Volpina moving through the crowd. If Volpina thought that she was being sneaky in any way, she was dead wrong. The orange suit, large ears, and swishing tail stood out amongst the mundanely dressed masses, making it easy to follow her partner's movements. Convinced that it wouldn't be long before Volpina was spotted, Queen Bee threw herself forward, capturing and destroying the feathers that were impaling the necks of the referees.

"Bad little bumble bee," hissed a voice above Queen Bee's head, making her freeze with a blue feather in her hand, "why must you spoil my fun?" The tone was coated in evil intention, causing Queen Bee to inhale sharply.

"What is the fun in this?" Queen Bee waved a gloved arm toward a group of grown men, clinging to each other's shoulders and weeping down each other's backs. "You would have to be some sort of sadist to find this fun. Look at them!" Repressing gagging noises, Queen Bee turned her back on the tear-soaked men. "How are they of use to you at all?" She watched the confusion sweep briefly over Le Paon's face.

"They don't need to be useful, you silly girl," Le Paon's voice was coated in rough diamonds as she glided toward Queen Bee, "they just have to stay out of my way." A sharp fan flew from the gloved hand and struck Queen Bee hard on the dominant shoulder, returning to its master like a boomerang.

Le Paon made an unpleasant noise in her throat, glaring down at her fan and then glaring at the unmarked upper arm of Queen Bee. Neither fan nor feather had connected with the heroine's skin and it seemed to cause its evil wielder a great deal of distress. Straightening herself, Queen Bee flung her trumpo, experimentally attempting to knock the fan from Le Paon's grasp. An idea trickled in as she recoiled the line, barely whipping it past grasping gloved-covered fingers. Moving counter-clockwise to the still wrestling pro-athletes, Queen Bee blocked another swipe of a flinging fan. She wanted to get ahold of one of Le Paon's weapons and her mind was busy planning the execution of that desire as she deflected each stinging blow.

Volpina gaped at the skillful resistance shown by Queen Bee as her partner drew Le Paon in a circular dance. Queen Bee had not acknowledged Volpina's presence, even when Volpina had done everything she could to reveal herself to her partner. While she had been doubting Queen Bee's intelligence, her partner had been slowly working their enemy into an encasing of possessed victims, leaving very little room for Le Paon to move. The focused stare fixated on Le Paon's face led Volpina to believe that she had no idea of her current position, one that would keep her from fleeing as the remaining victims blocked every path. If she attempted to float away again, Volpina was sure to catch her mid-flight from where she was stationed at the second platform. A smirk appeared on her face, curving her mask over her supple checks, as she realized that Queen Bee had noticed her location, and used it to the best of her ability. Willing to admit that she was a little impressed with the situation, Volpina squatted onto her ankles, preparing herself to intervene.

"Why don't you fight?!" Le Paon's frustration rang out, startling the remaining criers into more substantial tears.

A lop-sided smirk accompanied Queen Bee's snicker. "I don't need to fight you," she blocked another strike with a satisfying **_snap_** , "you'll give me exactly what I want with very little effort on my part." Doubt was still weighing heavy on her chest, unsure of the plan she had created as it was the first time Queen Bee was ever thinking on her own without Ladybug there to command her. Shoving it down, she crouched, patiently waiting for Le Paon to release the fan again. This time, when the blue streak whizzed toward her, Queen Bee lassoed it with her trumpo string, yanking it into her open palm. Internally she congratulated herself, not for catching the fan, but for not whooping aloud in celebration of her success. Clutching it tightly in her left palm, laughing in the face of the now enraged villain, Queen Bee called for her specialized weapon, snapping her trumpo forward with all her strength. Later, she would celebrate her precise aim which allowed the trumpo to collide with the blue covered chest, releasing all of its healing orbs directly into the skin of Le Paon. For now, she concentrated on reigning in her trumpo, concern over her own success keeping her from turning away from the shocked villain, kneeling on the ground with her hands over her sternum.

Red eyes, rimmed with deep blue connected with Queen Bee's as Le Paon rose to her feet. A growl, inhuman in nature ripped through Le Paon, a striking contrast between the graceful stance and perfect poise of the villain's body. Crouching in the way Master Fu had taught her, Queen Bee prepared for the attack as Le Paon flung herself forward in an attempt to tackle her.

A flash of orange blinded Queen Bee as Volpina made her grand entrance into the fight, colliding full-body with Le Paon and knocking her out of the air, her blue body landing with a sickening thud a breath away from the tennis net. "I'm glad to see you," Queen Bee quipped, winking at Volpina as her partner approached her side, "I don't have long." She tapped her hairclip as it beeped for a second time from its place on her head.

Grinning, Volpina moved to collect feathers from the men still fighting on the court, crushing them between her fingers as she kept a close watch on the slumped figure of Le Paon. If need be, she would tackle the woman again; it had been a little too much fun to physically throw someone around. Excited to get a second chance, Volpina prepared to pounce as Le Paon peeled herself from the ground, rising to the tips of her toes on the court.

"Wait!" Queen Bee was hurriedly grabbing feathers and stomping them to pieces as she yelled to Volpina, "it doesn't make sense to fight her! Use your power to protect them!" She knew she couldn't be more specific and was banking on the hope that Le Paon had no idea what Volpina's power would be.

Disappointed in losing the chance to fight away her anger and sadness, Volpina lifted her flute to her lips, playing the song she had finally perfected. Gathering the orange ball carefully into her palms, she tossed it toward Le Paon, surprise hitting all of them when a wall of glass encased all the bodies on the court, except for the one overdressed in a blue ball gown.

Anger hissed from Le Paon has she stomped her foot outside of the glass wall. "I'm not finished with you!" she screeched, raising up into the air. "I will defeat you. And I will take your miraculouses." As she flew away, feathers fell in her wake, sparkling with hate.

"What an idiot," Volpina snarked, flinging her own flute into the imaginary glass wall, pausing to watch it disappear in a cloud of smoke.

Stomping out the rest of the feathers, Queen Bee shook her head, "a dangerous idiot though." Her stomach had a painful clench to it and her headache was being heavily influenced by the too-close beeping of her miraculous. At the fourth beep, she shrugged her shoulders, throwing out her trumpo and launching herself onto the first elevated platform in the stadium.

"Hey!" Volpina called through cupped hands, waiting until Queen Bee looked over her shoulder to continue, "nice job today! I'm glad you were here, I don't know how I would have handled this without you."

With a small smile and a wave of the captured fan, Queen Bee acknowledged the compliment before continuing her ascent over the stadium wall. Suddenly, her headache didn't seem so overwhelming.

* * *

 _There was a field of flowers, a speckled painting of blues and greens which blew calmly in the comfortable breeze. Alya was wandering without purpose, running her fingers over the petals, enjoying the way the tall grass brushed against her ankles. Sun warmed skin tingled with each natural caress, making her feel relaxed and happy. Her journey was leading nowhere in particular and she found a sense of freedom in her aimless meandering._

 _A sudden shift had her clenching her fist, as the world around her turned dark. Clouds rolled over the once serene blue sky, pitch black and roaring with anger. Under her hands, the flowers became stained, droplets of red falling from the sky to destroy the brightly colored petals. Alya's own limbs became speckled with the sticky red substance and her nose prickled with the strong smell of blood._

In her sleep, Alya struggled against her blankets, moaning in defiance of the images in her mind. Trixx awoke, spying the marred look on Alya's face, placing a concerned hand on her partner's cheek. Fire met her palm, increasing her concern and pushing her to rock Alya gently awake.

Confusion crashed over Alya as she sat up in her own bed, the illusions of the dream overlaying with reality. She blinked until the red droplets vanished from her room, leaving her relieved. Crashing back onto her pillow, she turned her consideration to Trixx. "I'm sorry I woke you," Alya said gently, cupping the kwami to bring Trixx onto her chest. "I didn't even realize I had fallen asleep." She felt the tiny body snuggle into the soft flannel of her shirt and smiled.

"We can stay in bed if you want," Trixx curled herself into a tight ball, natural laziness taking over, "I'm sure Queen Bee can handle patrol on her own."

Alya sat up so abruptly that Trixx wailed in protest from being upended from her favorite sleeping spot. "I can't leave her out there alone, what if the blue devil who wears Prada comes back?" Trixx shrugged her shoulders, trying in vain to shove Alya back down on the bed without making a verbal protest. Giggling, Alya kissed her kwami between the ears, flinging her legs off the bed and calling for her transformation.

* * *

Frustration pushed Volpina to flash faster through the city of Paris. Queen Bee had not been present at the Eiffel Tower as scheduled, nor had she been at any of the other locations that Alya could reasonably list for their patrol meetings. It wasn't like Bee to miss a patrol, her partner was always annoyingly excited to trace over the moonlit skyline of Paris. Concern began to fight frustration for the top emotional spot and Volpina paused hands on hips, racking her brain for other possibilities. The rooftop garden appeared in her mind, almost as if willed there by someone other than herself. Sighing, Volpina changed directions, praying that she would locate her partner sooner than later.

* * *

The bench swing was cold underneath her, holding none of the warmth Queen Bee had found there when she had eaten breakfast with Volpina a few days prior. She didn't know why she had brought herself to this place, neglecting the scheduled patrol to instead cling to her own knees, tears splashing onto the tight fabric of her costume. The highlight of her entire day was battling Le Paon, everything else had been a reflection of the disappointment that ran like a sickly vein through her entire life. At home, there was still a decorated dining room, a meal untouched, and a cake uncut for a father who hadn't bothered to show up for his own birthday celebration. Things never changed, and Queen Bee was tired of getting her hopes up only to be crushed. She had flung herself from her window, seeking anything that could remind her of what was good in her life. Blindly, Queen Bee had found her way to the garden, never letting herself acknowledge how much she wished her partner would know to find her there, how much she needed her partner to care enough to come for her.

Touching down on the edge of the building, Volpina was relieved to discover the tightly wound ball of black and yellow, tucked into the corner of the swing which was being swayed by the Paris breeze. Approaching with hesitation, Volpina jumped when she heard the sniffle escape from under crossed arms. Gradually lowering herself onto the bench, Volpina reached a tentative hand to stroke Queen Bee's curved back. "You had me worried." The realization of the heavy truth in the statement made Volpina sit back against the swing. She never worried about anyone, save her younger siblings and Marinette, and it shocked her more than a little to comprehend that a new name had been added to the list. It hadn't been frustration that had spurred her to hunt Paris for the black and yellow heroine, but worry. Pushing it aside, Volpina nudged Queen Bee's shoulder, prompting a response.

The blond ponytail sagged off of Queen Bee's left shoulder as she rotated her head to peer at Volpina. "You were worried about me?" Perhaps it was the innocence in the question, or the way Queen Bee's eyes lit up at the notion, but Volpina felt the urge to hug her partner. Acting on it, she wrapped her arms around Queen Bee's shoulders, tugging her into an awkward side hug. It took all of her effort not to yelp in shock when Queen Bee adjusted her body, flushing them together in a proper hug. "Thank you," Queen Bee whispered into Alya's shoulder, the wet tears rolling over and down Volpina's back. They remained there until Queen Bee's tears had subsided and she pulled away sniffling at the back of her hand. "Damn," she spat, looking at her glove, "these things are not absorbent at all, are they?"

Laughter erupted from Volpina, a result of the release of the awkwardness in their relationship and Queen Bee's entertaining observation. She hadn't laughed in days, the ability to do so had left with her best friend in a long black car. It was strange to hear the sound, even stranger to hear it vibrating off the sound of Queen Bee's laughter, a mixture echoing into the quiet night sky. Sinking back, Volpina lazily laid a hand over her stomach, studying the face of her partner. "I can't stop wondering if I know you," she blurted out, only aware that she was speaking aloud halfway through her sentence.

Pushing up from the bench, Queen Bee decided to head home knowing that sleep would finally come with the warm feeling brought on by Volpina's arrival. Shrugging her shoulders, she walked away from her partner, not looking back when she responded. "No one knows me," it sounded melancholy, despite the truth in the opinion, "not really, anyway." She dove from the rooftop, heading home to finally collapse in bed, never noticing Volpina's reaction.

For the first time ever, Volpina found herself honestly caring for her partner, a newfound appreciation for a flaw they so obviously had in common.

* * *

The first thing Adrien noticed about Tibet was that there was a distinct lack of people once they moved away from the cities. Whereas the city they had landed in was buzzing with tourist activity, increased by a scheduled festival of some sort, the town that they had hiked to from their drop off point had seemed deserted at first. There was a population of about 30 people at Adrien's most generous estimate, and it had taken him and Marinette over four hours to acquire two horses and a place to sleep that night. The language barrier was a monster, even with Adrien's linguistic ability, and they were thankful when a small child, using broken English, was able to help their negotiations along. They had been given warnings about traveling this time of year, listening to each of them with a growing sense of terror, immediately panicking in unison when they were left alone inside the unstable wood hut where they now found themselves huddled.

The second thing he noticed was that the weather made absolutely no sense. When they had arrived in Lhasa it had been comfortably warm, with a light mist in the air as if rain was continually threatening to fall, although never actually making an appearance. Now, as he and Marinette cuddled together in a small wooden structure which they had rented from a local in the small village, the night air cut with the chill of ice, rain pounding at the walls and ceiling, convincing Adrien that their protection was not going to last much longer. Wrapping his arms around his girlfriend, Adrien did his best to warm her against his body, concern growing with every minute that she would be unable to rest due to discomfort. Feeling her shiver, Adrien slid further into their joined sleeping bags, until his feet hit their packs which they had tucked into the bottom. It was probably a silly precaution, given how friendly the townsfolk were, but his father had made him paranoid about being robbed while they slept. They had to leave some of the pieces out, including their tent which had been clipped to the bottom of Adrien's bag, but the majority of their belongings were stowed uncomfortably under their feet.

Trying to veer his mind away from the tasks ahead of him, Adrien let himself ease into the tight hold he had on Marinette, placing small kisses into her hair to comfort her as much as he was comforting himself. Nino had joked about them sharing Marinette's bedroom, and then increased his teasing once he found out they would again be residing together in London. _If only his best friend could see him now_ , Adrien thought, examining the decidedly unromantic situation they were in. He wasn't going to admit to anyone what he thought it would be like to be alone with Marinette in the middle of the mountains, but it certainly wasn't a picture that included four layers of clothing each and two kwamis snuggled in with them for warmth. Glancing behind Marinette, Adrien couldn't help but smile at Plagg and Tikki who mimicked their pose, tucked closely to the small of Marinette's back. Despite the cold, the two magical beings were sharing snores in a peaceful rhythm. Even if it wasn't the most intimate setting, Adrien wasn't convinced that there was anywhere else he would rather be. He settled himself tighter into the sleeping bag, letting his mind and body enjoy the closeness, keeping his thoughts as close to a PG rating as possible.

Every part of her shook from the chill that was determined to bury itself into the depths of her body. Marinette was positive that she had never experienced a cold like this, one that was influenced by too-thin walls, pouring murderous rain, and mountain air winds. Mother Nature howled her tantrum against the mud and wood structure, making Marinette bury her face into the crook of Adrien's arm for protection. She was physically exhausted from traveling and attempting to bargain for shelter and the horses and she wanted nothing more than warmth and sleep. They had spent only a few minutes discussing their plan for the next day each finally acknowledging that their stress level was too high and they were getting nowhere. Marinette had been worried about their physical closeness heading into this endeavor, finding herself now thankful for the loving hold of her boyfriend as it provided her protection from the raging elements. Shifting closer to Adrien, she threw her leg over his, looping her body around him to expel all remaining space between them.

And just like that, with the swift brush of her leg in between his and her nose buried into his neck, Adrien came to the conclusion that sleep would not be his friend that night.

* * *

Rain continued to fall, blurring the Tibetan landscape as they bid their hosts goodbye. Breakfast had consisted of a combination of vegetables and rice in a wooden bowl, a thankful diversion from the protein bars stored in their packs. Their stay had been brief, but the pleasant nature of the people had bolstered their confidence in their mission. Mounting their horses, Marinette and Adrien set out in the direction of their final coordinates, grateful that Gabriel had made sure they received riding lessons in London. From their estimate, they would have at least another night before they reached their final destination, hoping to find another town along the way, but prepared to sleep in their tent if not. Pitching a tent in the relentless rain was not ideal, and they were both secretly relying on the luck of Ladybug and Tikki to provide them with a better alternative.

Silence fell between them as they moved over the hills, higher mountains extending in the distance to their right. The ground under the hooves of the horses shifted as the mud increased, loose rock kicking back in their wake. It was no longer too cold to tolerate, despite the seemingly never-ending fall of the rain, and they fell into an easy riding rhythm at the speed that would propel them forward without exhausting their animals. The further they moved from the town, the heavier the silence became, until it felt as if Adrien was being crushed by it, with the added weight of the unknown pressing into his head. He wanted to speak, wanted to reach out to Marinette for comfort, but the words failed him as the chaos spun through his mind.

Every piece of information they had about the location of Xiao was the product of a guess. Some of those guesses seemed educated, brought forth by the research left behind by Adrien's mother. The majority of the guesses felt as if they were derived from darts thrown at a board. In his sleep-deprived state, Adrien could feel the doubt coated hysteria rising in his chest. Slowing the pace of his horse, he stayed silent, letting Marinette slip ahead of him. Adrien wanted to be the hero who brought his mother home, but the task seemed overwhelming, daunting in a way that nothing else had ever been. Being a hero in Paris had been an easy role to fall into; being a hero riding through the desolate mountains of Tibet was something else entirely. This wasn't a video game or a choose-your-own-adventure novel, this was his life, and it was suddenly slamming down on him in a very real way. Chest constricting, he stopped his horse without warning, doubling onto the strong neck for support.

A full five minutes passed before Marinette realized that Adrien was no longer riding behind her, her own mind lost in the labyrinth of worry and doubt. Their coordinates told them where to go, the rudimentary compasses attached to each of their waists providing direction in the midst of the rolling hillsides, the other more modern equipment stashed in their bags. What no one knew was what they would find when they finally arrived to the pinpoint in mountains. If the temple wasn't where Master Fu predicted, if Adrien's mom wasn't within the walls of whatever structure they found, how would her partner handle it? Marinette couldn't fathom the possible heartbreak and her own heart wrenched sorrowfully in her chest as she considered the very real possibility that they were headed into nothingness. The only possibility worse than not knowing would be finding that they were wrong, and being left without hope to discover any new answers. Feeling the lump grow in her throat, she glanced to Adrien to make sure he couldn't see her upset, spinning her horse wildly when she realized he was no longer behind her. Scanning the landscape, she spotted him, doubled-over on his own steed. Kicking her heels against the muscular sides of her horse, she raced back to him, almost knocking herself from the bareback of the animal beneath her legs.

"Go slow," Tikki whispered from inside her jacket, Marinette copying Adrien's place for Plagg to keep Tikki closer to her. "He is hurting, Marinette. Plagg is terrifed right now, I can feel it." Tears rolled over her cheeks as she covered the distance between her and her partner, throwing herself from her horse and dragging him off of his own as soon as she stopped beside him. Sinking to the ground, uncaring about the amount of mud coating their clothes, Marinette gathered Adrien into her, feeling his sobs shaking through his slim body.

Her warmth circled him, drawing him back to the present, breaking through the oppressive screaming in his head. Adrien wound his arms around her waist, collapsing onto her smaller form and letting himself release everything inside of him. He couldn't form any words to explain what was happening in his mind and was extremely grateful to find that she didn't seem to need any. As with his breakdown on the Eiffel Tower, Marinette was there, demanding nothing from him and giving him everything he ever needed all at once. Snuggling close, he breathed her in, using the strength of her love to clear the hurricanes from his mind. Finally regaining his ability to talk, he ran a hand over the back of her head, whispering his apologies against her ear.

"Don't be sorry," Marinette spoke against his shoulder, feeling as if she couldn't get a strong enough hold on her love, "just don't scare me like that. You can cry, scream, whatever you need to do to feel better. I'll even spar with you if it will help. Just don't ghost away from me. Stay right here, I promise I have your back, always." She bit back her own tears, knowing his emotions were far more important than her own.

Sitting back, Adrien held her at arm's length, both of his hands carefully cupping her shoulders. "I love you." He had wanted the words to be said in a different time and place, maybe at the top of the Eiffel Tower or at some fancy restaurant as they danced the night away. The last time he had said them hadn't felt special in the way Marinette deserved to feel; he wanted her to feel cherished, cared for, and romanced. He had vowed that he wouldn't say them again until he could do it properly. Instead the sentiment came tumbling out of him, as they sat in the mud, completely alone in the middle of rural nothingness.

To Marinette, it was perfect every time those three words passed from Adrien's lips. Flinging herself forward, she squeezed him impossibly tight, "I love you too, Adrien." Every part of her felt that love, even as the mud seeped into her clothing and their kwamis whined about being squished between them.

They remained in the mud until their legs were sore, finally releasing their holds on each other and relocating themselves onto the backs of their separate horses. A lot of ground needed to be covered before nightfall and together they once again began their race against the sun.

* * *

Ladybug's luck did not provide them with another town, Plagg's loud assessment being anyone stuck in this situation was out of luck to begin with. The cat kwami was more surly than normal, twitching away from all of them to nestle onto the back of the nearest horse. Worried eyes following her partner's movements, Tikki remained perched on Marinette's shoulder, refusing to answer any of her human partner's questions. Adrien was also prickly by the time they had located a suitable place to set up their campsite for the night. Marinette tried to encourage them all by reminding them that they had at least found a safe location against the rise of the mountain side and that the lake at the bottom would provide them the ability to wash the mud from their bodies. She was met with a series of huffs and grunts, causing her to give up, heading to the lake alone with her pack.

The rain had finally subsided and Marinette took advantage of the small break to pull the map from her bag, along with the global positioning handheld device that had been a gift from Mr. Agreste. Marinette had argued briefly as to why they couldn't use their cell phones, losing the battle when Master Fu pointed out that there was no way to know if Xiao had the technology to track communications around his operation. A burner phone was stowed in the hidden pocket of Adrien's backpack, turned off and intended only to contact their pilot if absolutely necessary. They were completely alone, a fact that continued to sneak up on Marinette whenever she let her mind relax a bit too far. Shaking her head, she made herself concentrate on the map, assessing the distance from where they were currently to where they needed to be. Her breath quickened when she realized that they would reach their destination tomorrow, the possibility of answers ripping through her like lightning.

Closing her eyes to steady herself, Marinette refolded the map with shaky hands, placing it along with the GPS into her bag and laying it on the ground. Yanking a set of clean clothes from the top, Marinette stacked them onto the top of the bag. Ensuring that she was truly alone, letting the slowly setting sun act as a shield against the world, Marinette peeled her muddy clothes from her body, standing at the edge of the water in only her underwear. She set to work scrubbing the mud from the clothes and dipping her boots lightly into the water, careful not to let it spill in the top of them. The water was cold, making her shiver as the goosebumps raised on all of her exposed skin. Feeling her body begin to adjust to the temperature, Marinette dared to step forward into the water, leaning to cup it with her hands. Her skin prickled with the chill as she scrubbed the dirt from her arms and legs, pausing for only a moment before bending forward and ducking her hair into the water as well. There had been plenty of knowledge regarding their inability to bathe and she knew she was taking a chance exposing herself to the lake water, but Marinette craved the feeling of cleaner skin. Hesitantly reaching behind her own back, Marinette glanced over her shoulder to verify that Adrien was indeed still sulking in the tent before unlatching her bra. Dunking it into the cold water, she used her fingertips to work the sweat and dirt from the soft fabric, repeating the process a moment later with her underwear. Reaching for the small, super absorbent towel that she had purchased on her one and only shopping trip in London, Marinette hastily dried her pale skin, shoving clothing on her body as soon as she was satisfied with the results.

From his place in the tent, Adrien sat stunned peering out of the small netted window. He had looked away several times, red on his cheeks feeling akin to the flames of hell as he pulled his eyes back into his lap. It wasn't intentional to watch Marinette, and she was still a remarkable distance away. His mind had easily filled in the gaps though. Internally reprimanding himself, Adrien grabbed his own bag, dragging himself from the tent to trudge down the hill. If she had gone through all the trouble to clean herself, he was positive that he would smell like a beast in comparison. Passing her as he walked, Adrien glued his chin to his chest, not willing to meet her eyes. He broke out into a run, haphazardly flinging his bag to the ground, his shoes landing carelessly next to it. Wading into the water fully clothed, he hoped to drown his embarrassment along with washing away the caked on dirt.

Plagg huffed at Marinette from his spot on Adrien's horse as she approached the campsite, and she detoured in her path to scoop him up, planting a kiss on his head as she cuddled him into her chest. He weakly attempted to fight away from her, a motion that was more act than intention. Finally settling, he curled into the center of her chest, ear pressed to the sound of her beating heart. Allowing Tikki room in her embrace, Marinette moved carefully toward the tent opening only letting her gaze wander toward the lake for a brief second. The bare back stretched up from the water, glistening with the last remaining rays of the setting sun, making Marinette feel warm and tingly as she watched Adrien splash in the water. Shaking her head again, she leaned into the tent, determined to give her partner his privacy.

* * *

The night had passed uneventfully, both Marinette and Adrien taking turns sleeping and keeping a look out on their surroundings. While it would have been more comfortable to curl into each other's arms, and certainly would have been more conducive to peaceful slumber, standing guard was a necessity to guarantee their safety. No matter how alone they felt tucked into the mountain side, there was always a chance that an enemy could come upon them if they weren't careful. Adrien had taken the first shift, only waking Marinette when he couldn't hold his head up any longer. During her shift, Marinette had sat by the pale light of her crank flashlight and sketched Adrien's sleeping face in her tiny notebook. The night hadn't brought any surprises and when the sun rose, they stood together outside of the tent, stretching out their weary muscles.

"When I get home," Adrien pondered, "I am going to take the world's longest bath and eat everything I can get my hands on, especially your parents' croissants."

Marinette smiled, playing the game that they had started in the tiny village two days prior. "When I get home," she smirked, finger tapping on her lips as she thought, "I am going to make the biggest loaf of bread ever and eat it with warm hot chocolate while wearing my softest sweat pants." The thought made Marinette sigh, realizing how truly decadent her normal life sounded compared to the rustic campsite in the middle of a dirt covered mountain.

"When I get home," Plagg quipped, floating over Adrien's head and sticking his tongue out, "I am going to eat all the camembert I can find and then not talk to any of you for at least three days." He ducked as Tikki swung out at the back of his head, pouting when she adjusted and smacked his arm instead.

"When I get home, I am going to eat a cookie as big as my head and sleep on my cat pillow," Tikki's wishes hadn't changed, no matter how many times they had played this game. Marinette squeezed her kwami, smacking a loud kiss to the little red head.

"My turn?" Adrien asked, playfully spinning Marinette into his side and leaning in. His nerves were raw and he was aching for a distraction, deciding that kissing Marinette was the only solution to his problem.

They let the kiss linger until Plagg began to make gagging noises, threatening loudly to throw them both in the lake. A cloud of laughter lifted above them, as all four teammates relaxed into their individual breakfasts, staring into the dying fire as Adrien began to put it out. If he tried hard enough, he could imagine this was the four of them camping out in a backyard, enjoying each other's company without being too far from basic amenities. He let that image coat the real one, imagining lush trees and bright flowers in place of the gray rock and the ground of exposed dirt. Blinking, reality washed back in, bringing with it all the insecurity and apprehension that had been chasing him. Shuddering with the suddenness of it, he smiled at Marinette when she pressed into his side.

Bags repacked, tent shaken and store at the bottom of Adrien's, they once again found themselves moving across the Tibetan mountains, the only sounds being the thud of their horses' hooves and their uneasy breathing. Stopping only to check their course on several occasions, they made haste over the top of the mountain, decreasing their speed as they rounded the side and began their downhill descent.

A sharp intake of breath came from Adrien's pocket, with an even sharper command to stop. Hauling his horse up immediately, Adrien whistled to Marinette, signaling her to return to him. When she raised a curious eyebrow in his direction, he shrugged and pointed to his pocket. Opening his coat, Adrien peaked at Plagg who had gone wide-eyed and silent. Alarm bells went off in Adrien's mind, his kwami's stillness terrifying him in an indescribable way. Bringing her horse close to his, Marinette questioned his request, startling when Tikki flew from inside her coat to drag Plagg from his spot. Unsure what to make of the silent interaction between the kwamis, Marinette used the time to check their map again, heart sinking.

Their pinpoint had arrived under their feet a mere three hours after they had left their campsite, a point that should have held a temple of secrets and perhaps the answers the Agreste men needed to move forward with their lives. As Marinette moved her contemplation from her the map in her hands to the vast empty landscape in front of her, she felt the disappointment drape over her like a smothering blanket, pressing her shoulders into a curve as she scanned the mountains for any sign of hope. They had traveled this far, lied to their friends and family, and trained to risk their lives, all to discover that the little information they had was false, that there was no temple, only more mountains extending as far as her eyes could see.

Adrien processed Marinette's motions as if he were in a dream, watching her from behind a hesitant veil as she looked at the map and surveyed the isolated land in front of them. He didn't need her to tell him that there was nothing there. He didn't need to hear the words to know that they had come all of this way for nothing. He wasn't a hero, he was a foolish child with foolish impressions of grandeur, set up to fail by his father and a Master he couldn't trust. Kicking from his place on his horse, Adrien hit the ground with rage, kicking stones with the strength of that anger, yells spouting from him like flames from an ill-contained fire. A small black hand smacked out at him, colliding with his cheek and bringing him in an angry twirl toward his kwami. They hissed at each other, teeth barred.

"What is your problem?" Plagg questioned, hovering close to Adrien's face with his hands on his hips. "If you keep carrying on like that, we are going to be caught and killed for sure."

Marinette deliberately shook Adrien's shoulder until he looked at her, confusing wavering between them. Returning to her consideration of the empty land in front of her, Marinette scowled at Plagg, pointing to the spot on the map. "It is supposed to be here, Plagg," Marinette exhaled letting her bangs bounce off of her forehead with her breath, "but instead…" She couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence, arm waving toward the stark reality of their failed mission.

It was the kwamis' turn to exchange waves of confusion, silently conversing with each as Marinette watched helplessly. Adrien's stare hadn't left the valley below them, brow knitted together like someone trying to find the picture in a magic eye book. No matter how many times, Marinette shook his shoulder, he would not break his concentration, focusing on the ground beneath them as if his life depended on it.

Cautiously, Tikki took a place on Marinette's shoulder. "Can you not see it?" Her tone was awed, and considerably concerned.

"See what?" Marinette could see the browns and greens of the mountains, untouched by men in every way. She could see her own frustration, leaking over her vision as she crumpled her map in her hands. They had come so far, and had still fallen short. It was more than Marinette could process in that moment.

Tikki's little red hands twitched in circular motions as she leaned against Marinette's temple. Plagg took up his place in Adrien's hair, not lounging back, instead leaning forward on his hands and knees, looking like the tiny black pilot of an Adrien plane. "It's there," Plagg hissed, making both Adrien and Marinette jump, "you'll most likely be able to see it once you transform."

"Alright," Adrien shrugged his back off, preparing to call for his transformation when a tiny red hand clamped over his mouth.

"Don't!" Tikki squealed, racing back to Marinette. "The magic that surrounds this place," Tikki's entire body shook with horror as she bit at her tail, "it is very dark. It must have been placed by Xiao himself." Placing a hand on Marinette's cheek, Tikki continued sounding more strangled. "You are only going to get one shot at this. Xiao appears to be getting stronger and you cannot go in unprepared." Marinette wanted to tell Tikki that she would take her advice, following her kwami's lead without question, but the words failed her as the terrified quake in Tikki's body told a far more intense story. There was something the kwamis weren't telling them, and Marinette planned to find out what it was as soon as they were safe.

"We have to go back," Plagg tugged on Adrien's hair, willing him away from the valley, pleading with his partner to gain space from the threat that Adrien couldn't see.

"No!" Adrien shouted, dropping into his stance, again attempting to call for his transformation when Marinette tackled him to the ground. "I'm not leaving! We came this far, I'm not going anywhere!" Adrien thrashed against the weight of Marinette's body, and she kept him pinned until he stilled, feeling only mildly proud of herself for her own strength.

Plagg appeared above his head, eyes popped wide, hands fluttering around his body. "I'm not saying go back home. I'm saying take a step back. This is more than I expected, we have to prepare. If we don't…" He darted to Tikki's side, burying his head in the red shoulder.

"If we don't prepare you, if we don't explain to you what we feel in this place," Tikki swallowed, hugging Plagg to her, "you won't make it out alive."

Of all the silences that they had found themselves in since their time together, this one was the most deafening. Partners clung to partners, all of them shocked into their separate spirals of mental doom. Feeling her heartbeat in her ears, Marinette spoke, her throat raw with emotion. "Can you describe it to me?" She saw the kwamis exchanged silent words, clarifying her question before they could add any of their own. "Can you describe what you are seeing? If we travel back a safe distance and set up camp for the night, could you give me sufficient details to allow me to sketch it?" Rushing to her side, Tikki grabbed Marinette's face in a tight squeeze. Giggling, in spite of the overbearing dread building in her stomach, Marinette returned her kwami's affection. "That's a yes?"

"Yeah," Plagg glanced tensely over his shoulder, returning to his place inside Adrien's coat as Marinette pulled him to his feet. "Let's get out of here, okay?"

In his state of shock, Adrien lifted himself to the back of his horse, making not a single noise as he guided the animal to change direction. It took Plagg several tries and a pinch on Adrien's chest to bring his human's attention to him. Storms were building in Adrien's green eyes and Plagg doubted himself only for a moment, pushing on only because his partner trusted him and Plagg needed that trust to maintain intact. "She's in there Adrien, I could see her," Plagg saw the realization dawn on Adrien's face, hating that he was giving his boy false hope, knowing that the mother Adrien was expecting and the woman Plagg had seen through the expansive columns were similar only in physical appearance. The woman Plagg knew as Lady Pois, the one who had lovingly raised Adrien and bravely pursued the rescue of her friend, was nowhere to be found inside the magical temple.

Together they rode until the kwamis had deemed a safe buffer in place between them and the walls of Xiao's temple. Now, they had planning to do, using the added knowledge of the kwamis and the sketches being quickly produced by Marinette. Quietly Adrien sat, listening to the description of the place where he would finally find his mother, the hope spreading through him like a bright parasite.

* * *

 **Adrien is 16 and to ignore that fact, along with his normal-16-year-old desires (and Nino's for that matter) would do a disservice to his character.**

 **Also, if you are an artist accepting commissions or have a suggestion of an artist I can reach out, please let me know! I'm thinking about having a few scenes drawn for this fic in hopes of increasing its popularity.**

 **And... Give me your thoughts as to whether I should go back and change Abeille's name to "Pollen" now that we know the canon name!**

 **Thank you!**


	19. Chapter 19

**THE PARIS PORTION OF THIS CHAPTER HAS BEEN UPDATED AS OF 9/30/2017.**

 **Still split between Paris and Tibet. As with all of these chapters, Paris is first then Tibet.**

 **Warning: There is a major fight scene in the Tibet portion and there are injuries involved. If this is triggering to you, please skip over the paragraphs that the following sections:**  
 **Starting at "Patience." and ending with "squeezed."**  
 **Starting at "A long silver dagger" and ends up "pulsating from him."**

* * *

Diamonds of blue danced along Chloe's ceiling, reflecting from the stolen fan that she waved lazily between her hands. Despite her best efforts, the feathery darts had disappeared into the folds, unrelenting even when Chloe waved the weapon in an attempt to recreate Le Paon's signature moves. Tossing it from hand to hand she found herself jealous of the intricate beauty, wondering why she had been stuck with a bulb on a string, while this villain wielded such a breath-taking accessory. It was unfair, as far as Chloe was concerned.

The buzzing echoing around her room was driving her insane, bringing her arm to swing out at her kwami. Abeille's hands caught the fan, yanking it from Chloe's fist as she flew to the ceiling, away from Chloe's frantic grasps. "It isn't yours," Abeille snapped, her voice still carrying a royal air which Chloe figured she would have to live with. "You need to take this to Master Fu. You aren't doing anything with it. Just playing with it. Envy is not a positive emotion."

Abeille knew when to push her buttons. They were so similar in many ways, and there was some friction between them because of it. It seemed her kwami was perfectly happy to boss Chloe around, looking down the curve of her face prepared to judge every decision Chloe made. It was uncomfortable, the karma of her civilian form being fed back to her in droves. Chloe quietly accepted it though, knowing that Abeille wasn't going to change until Chloe found a way to change her behavior in all aspects of her life. She had made that much clear, the lectures Chloe had endured were unlike anything she had ever experienced. Her father was too busy to notice or care about the way Chloe acted, so she had done as she pleased, shutting out of the world in a bubble of snark and arrogance.

Ignoring the kwami who was still spouting her opinion from her perch on the ceiling, Chloe laid back on her bed, once again contemplating her life. As Queen Bee she could be anyone she wanted, and Abeille had commended her for choosing to be open and welcoming to Volpina's support, both emotionally and as her fighting partner. As Chloe though, no one would give her a chance to change. She had long ago cemented her role as the class mean girl, and she knew, without trying, that she would never be thought of as anything else. So, she would continue to let Abeille be the bearer of karma, knowing she deserved it and helpless to stop it. She wasn't angry with her kwami, in fact, Abeille was easily her closest friend in the world.

The reprimands weren't always unwarranted and they certainly weren't the only aspect of their relationship. Abeille only scolded her when Chloe was out of line, which meant frequent lectures any time Chloe's peers were around. When it was just them, Abeille listened quietly, comforting Chloe in her sea of isolated loneliness. In a way, Abeille was taking the place of her mother, and Chloe would never resent her for that.

Pushing off her bed, Chloe peeked out of her door confirming that she was once again alone. Although Abeille had continued her rant, the main point remained that the fan needed to be in Master Fu's possession. Paying attention to only that portion of Abeille's ongoing rant, Chloe stood in the middle of the room and rolled her eyes. "Let's go then," she didn't look at her kwami, reaching a hand out to catch the falling fan with an instinctual move. Calling for her transformation, Chloe heard Abeille's quiet praise as she was sucked into her place in Chloe's hair comb. Climbing from her window, Queen Bee set forth to Master Fu's loft, pausing only to notify her partner where she was headed.

* * *

Master Fu's reaction to the stolen weapon was a mixture of curiosity and pride. Twirling it between his own hands, he showered Queen Bee and Volpina with excited praise, emphasizing their job well done. He set the fan down in between the green and the purple kwamis on a large shelf, not reacting to the stifled cry escaping the purple one.

Her keen fox eyes watched as the kwamis reacted to the presence of the fan. Struggling to remember their names, she was relieved when they spoke to each other, reminding her without the requirement of her asking for clarification. Wayzz looked horrified, recoiling from the folded blue fabric as if it would bite him. Nooroo, clutched one hand over his chest, tears clinging to his eyelids as he reached a hand toward the feathers. Tackling him, Wayzz whispered fiercely into Nooroo's face, causing the purple kwami to cry harder.

Volpina's heart hurt. If she ever saw Trixx cry, she would most likely cry along with her and she was getting a similar sensation watching the tears roll down Nooroo's face onto the wooden shelf. Her kwami didn't seem as emotional as Nooroo, and Wayzz seemed similar to Trixx in that manner. Like people, she supposed, kwamis all had varying personalities. Watching the emotionality of Nooroo had Volpina questioning what Hawkmoth had been like up close, pondering the idea of Gabriel Agreste handling a being so open with emotion. A stomping foot brought her mind back to her partner, her face grimacing as she heard Queen Bee's voice top toward a whine.

"We have been searching that area," Queen Bee huffed, frustrated with Master Fu, "Ladybug and Cat Noir asked us to keep an eye on that area, and we have been patrolling it every time we are out. We have yet to see anything. AT ALL." Master Fu was supposed to train them. He was supposed to be some sort of all-knowing guardian. From what Queen Bee could tell, Ladybug and Cat Noir knew just as much, if not more than the short man who stood nonchalantly in front of her.

They had promised to keep an eye on the area outlined by Ladybug and Cat Noir, an area that covered the property making up Agreste mansion, but no one had ever told them why. Now it seemed there was a connection between Le Paon's fan and this particular portion of Paris, but Master Fu wouldn't tell her what it was. She was tired of adults who spoke in riddles, bringing her to her current state of agitation.

Slinging a comforting arm around Queen Bee's middle, Volpina bumped her hip against the black and yellow one. "Bee's right," she winked at Queen Bee trying to lighten the mood, "we were patrolling that area before Cat Noir and Ladybug left and have patrolled it every day since then. No signs of well-dressed malicious feathered females anywhere." It was hard to suppress the frustration that wanted to coat her tongue, but Volpina forced herself to do so, knowing that adding her emotions to the situation would help no one. Waiting patiently for Master Fu to respond, most likely in another hypothetical proverb that would lead her to hours of analysis of her bedroom walls, she jumped feeling the same reaction from Queen Bee when a knock rang through the small living space. Humming to himself, Master Fu wandered from the practice room, seemingly unworried about glares steaming from the faces of his heroines.

Neither of them were prepared for Gabriel Agreste to walk into Master Fu's home, conversing with Master Fu as if they were old friends. Volpina and Queen Bee exchanged skeptical looks, trying and failing to communicate silently. It had been a secret she had kept, among many secrets at this point, and Volpina instantly regretted never telling Queen Bee about Hawkmoth's identity. Subsequently, Queen Bee reacted with confused politeness, instead of defensively the way Volpina was doing. It crossed her mind that maybe she wasn't supposed to know, causing Volpina to drop her stance and mimic the flawless posture and wide eyes of her partner.

A small noise vibrated the walls of the wooden bookshelf as the purple kwami leapt from his place to float in front of Mr. Agreste's face. Queen Bee considered the interaction as tiny purple arms came to rest on Adrien's father's cheeks. Shared tears sprung to both sets of eyes, and Queen Bee swore she could hear the words of an apology amidst the other whispered words. Struggling to hear what was being whispered between the kwami and her friend's father, Chloe gave up and analyzed the situation in front of her instead.

The last time she had seen any emotion from Mr. Agreste, she had been four years old, racing through the Agreste mansion foyer when she had taken a spill and split her lip open on the tile. Mr. Agreste had carried her to the humongous kitchen, reassuring her as they went that her injury didn't look life-threatening. After cleaning the blood and placing an ice pack on her lip, he had kissed her head and returned to her the floor to run off again with Adrien. The tenderness of the memory mixed with the emotion of the scene in front of her, brought stinging tears to Queen Bee's eyes as well.

Volpina was lost. Queen Bee was crying, Nooroo was snuggling into Gabriel Agreste's face when he should have been slapping him, and Gabriel Agreste… well Gabriel Agreste also seemed to be crying. He hadn't shed a tear when Adrien had gone missing on that now infamous Christmas Day, instead shouting at anyone who approached him. Obviously the man wasn't incapable of emotion and Volpina felt a strong sense of fury rise in her own chest. It began to blind her to her surroundings, resulting in her inability to listen to Master Fu's words. His mouth was moving, hands waving subtly as he addressed them, but Volpina couldn't hear anything he was saying. Forcing herself to breathe through her overwhelming reaction, Volpina tried to refocus.

"Gabriel, my longtime friend and original holder of moth miraculous, will be joining my efforts to train you," said Master Fu as if it was the most casual announcement to ever occur.

"Why should we trust him?" The words rushed from her, Volpina unwilling or unable to control their escape into the room. Cold eyes, reflecting an emotion Volpina couldn't peg, turned to focus on her face.

"And why," Gabriel paused, settling Nooroo on his shoulder, "should I trust you?"

Queen Bee thought it was a fair question, alarmed when her partner stepped in front of her in a protective move. "We don't know you," Volpina stated, eyes narrowing, "how do we know you aren't Hawkmoth? Nooroo was Hawkmoth's kwami and he has spent weeks recovering from what that evil human did to him." She wanted Gabriel to lie to her, give her a reason to lash out at him after everything he had put her friends through. To her dismay, he remained calm.

"I was," he stated, flatly and without emotion, including the regret that Volpina thought should be there. "Before I was Hawkmoth though, I was La Papillion and Nooroo was my partner. I believe in my case, the good outweighs the bad." He patted his kwami on his purple head, nodding toward Master Fu. "I am shaky about returning to my miraculous status, if that is any reassurance. I was requested to join in your training, however, and I trust that if Fu believes we are ready to be a team again, that I should as well." Gabriel put a hand on Master Fu's shoulder, head raised, challenging either girl to contradict his points. Cocking his head at them, Volpina felt distinctly like she was being searched. "All of your heroes are so young, friend, doesn't it get exhausting?" Laughter rang between the two of them as they left the room together, making plans for Volpina and Queen Bee's future.

The sour feeling of anxiety and concern had settled like a moldy brick in Volpina's stomach. Nodding her head toward the window, Volpina threw herself out into Paris, Queen Bee hot on her heels heading for their hidden garden. They couldn't speak openly about the situation if they remained in Master Fu's loft, and Volpina needed to hear Queen Bee's opinions on the new development. As she flashed over Paris, Volpina pushed all the thoughts out of her head, praying that the solitude of their garden would help them sort out all of the mess.

* * *

Being on the rooftop after the sun had disappeared to make way for the moon was pleasant, even during the most humid nights. In the alternative, Queen Bee found that being on the rooftop, surrounded by the newly erect greenhouse glass, currently in the middle of the Parisian summer heat with the sun at its highest peak was closer to hell than she ever wanted to be. Even the breathable nature of their suits couldn't aid her in keeping cool, and Queen Bee sought the shade, propping herself against the brick wall nearest the rooftop air conditioning unit while Volpina twitched over the rooftop like an agitated animal. The blowback wasn't as cold as it would be if they were inside, but it was a least a small interruption in the stale heat that hung all around them.

Which was really nothing compared to the heat of sympathy filling every part of Queen Bee as she sat slumped against the wall. Gabriel Agreste was Hawkmoth. How unfair it would be when Adrien returned from London to discover the news, Queen Bee knowing that it wouldn't be right to hide it from him. Adrien had already lost his mom, and now his dad was a recovering (she hoped) supervillain. She wished that her superpower was time travel, wanting nothing more than to grab Adrien and fling them both to a past that contained their parents, as the versions they could love and trust.

But she supposed that wouldn't work either, as Gabriel had openly admitted to holding the moth miraculous long before he became Hawkmoth. A part of her wondered if Adrien could possibly know, but she immediately dismissed that possibility. Adrien was noble and honest to a fault, and there was no way he could keep a secret like that. Especially with Gabriel acting so casual about the situation, as if they should have known the information all along.

The thought stopped her momentarily, Queen Bee glaring holes into the rooftop tar. Nooroo had been rescued by Cat Noir and Ladybug, which means they would know that Gabriel Agreste was Hawkmoth. Swallowing hard, Queen Bee attempted to wrap her head around the thoughts beginning to swell in her mind. Letting her head fall back against the brick, Queen Bee felt her mind spin in sickness, made worse by the heat and the constant nearby movement of her partner.

Stones flicked from underneath Volpina's pacing feet, scattering in the wake of her chaotic stomping. Trusting Gabriel seemed impossible. Her research into Hawkmoth, and the lore behind the moth miraculous had come up empty, except for the news populating out of Paris in the last couple of years. And that had been limited mostly to fan blogs and the old reports run by Minon's mother's news channel. Chloe's father had spent a remarkable amount of money keeping a lid on the press about what he deemed their "superhero issue" and it had made it almost impossible to track input from other countries. Now though, Volpina was armed with a new name, one that predated Hawkmoth and she was itching to begin her research.

The only way Volpina was going to be able to trust Le Papillion was if she could confirm that he was telling the truth about being a good guy. She had read enough comic books to know that good guys could become bad, and bad guys could find redemption. Her own emotions over the days following Ladybug and Cat Noir's departure, and finding out her best friends' secrets, had left her contemplating her own chances of going the other way. If there was any chance of trusting Hawkmoth, at least to the point of being able to fulfill Master Fu's requests, Volpina was going to have to confirm his back story.

Her only problem was, she was scared to leave her partner behind. Volpina couldn't take Queen Bee back to Alya's room and she wouldn't leave Queen Bee by herself in Paris. Neither of them had spoken since they had landed on the rooftop, their individual thoughts seemingly strangling their current ability to communicate. Volpina wanted to know Queen Bee's thoughts, finally accepting that her partner's input mattered, but she couldn't find a way to word her questions. What she did know, without a shadow of a doubt, was that neither of them could face Paris alone right now. If Gabriel was lying, if he took possession of Nooroo again and returned to evil, Queen Bee would have no way to stop both Hawkmoth and Le Paon while Volpina was off playing detective. No matter how much it frustrated her, Volpina would have to put her research on hold until they were able to talk and come up with a strategy for moving forward.

Beeping sounds emitted from Volpina's flute, as equally high-pitched and annoying sounds shook Queen Bee's trumpo against the ground. Answering in unison, they listened to Master Fu describe the scene currently unfolding at the Eiffel Tower. Still unable to find the words to talk to one another, Volpina nodded in Queen Bee's direction as she closed the sliding portion of her flute.

Knowing what they had to do, Queen Bee leapt from the side of the building, Volpina flashing orange at her side as they raced toward the site of Le Paon's latest attack.

* * *

"What am I even looking at?" Volpina stood with her flute spinning in her right hand, observing Le Paon and a mass of civilians marching down the street. These victims, which they had yet to assign a name to, looked far more organized than Le Paon's previous attempts. The elegant blue form floated over the ground crossing in front of the Eiffel Tower, her marching army gaining members with every step.

"I have no idea," Queen Bee was flabbergasted, standing with her trumpo dangling limply from her hand. It was amazing how stunning and terrifying Le Paon could be at any moment. She moved with model-like grace, flinging her blue feathers with an air of uncaring refinement. Queen Bee found herself almost jealous, wishing that she could draw the attention of a crowd the way Le Paon did. Of course, she had no intention of possessing people to get that type of attention, so that was something. "What is her point in this bizarre parade?" Chloe threw a hand in the direction of Le Paon, acting as an overly dressed drum major in a parade of overly emotional marchers. "How do we even handle that many at once?" They had gotten pretty good at handling Le Paon, but Le Paon was also disorganized and seemingly naïve to the powers of her miraculous. If the hectic, but contained, blob of raging people was any indication, Le Paon was beginning to hone her skills.

"Perhaps," a regal voice lowered behind them, calling their attention to the middle of the roof, "I could be of some assistance."

The figure stood with model perfect posture, hands braced on a cane which angled up from the ground to his waist. A deep plum mask covered the long head, complimentary in color to the suit jacket and pants which made up the majority of the mystery man's costume. The high collared white dress shirt was adorned with a broch at the neck, looking remarkably like a set of silver butterfly wings.

Not a butterfly, Volpina's subconscious whispered, as she faced the impeccably dressed and questionably trustworthy man. "Hawkmoth," she acknowledged, narrowing her gaze to watch for a reaction.

"La Papillion," he corrected, smirk fading slightly as he continued, "Hawkmoth has been banished. I refuse to return to that life. I can, however, help you learn how to face Le Paon if you'll let me."

"No." The refusal was a united chorus from both Volpina and Queen Bee, pushing their shoulders together as joined team of resistance. "We don't need your help," Volpina spat, even though she could see the hesitation in Queen Bee's posture. Behind them the noise of Le Paon's akumatized army was growing and Volpina could feel the fear beginning to rise in her chest. Resolved to stay strong, she slipped an arm around Queen Bee's waist.

Light eyes considered them through the holes in the velvety mask, studying them with pursed lips. "I believe you both are aware that I can help you, even without your permission, but I don't want to pursue that route," he paused watching the realization sink in, "how about we give it a try and if it isn't helpful, I shall take away everything I give."

The sickness was immediate in Volpina's stomach. She had watched the video of herself being controlled by Hawkmoth, the faint memories still haunted her dreams, reminding her that she had given over so easily to her own raw emotions. The idea of anyone having that kind of control over her again was unsettling, in the same way being trapped in a crashing plane without a parachute was unsettling.

There was unease building in Queen Bee's chest. She had purposefully compartmentalized her akumatized experience, to the chagrin of her therapist and the relief of her nervous system. Standing there, hearing the mild threat directly from her telepathic captor was too much. Her brain screamed, demanding that she lash out, causing her to take a step forward as she began to fling her trumpo at the offensive man in front of her. A hand caught her arm, pulling her back as she snapped out of her blind rage, blinking into the face of her partner. "Thanks," she breathed, allowing herself to rest on the supportive shoulder.

Knowledge set itself across La Papillion's face, taking in the exasperated and mildly terrified looks on the faces of the young women standing in front of him. "It isn't the same," he lowered his volume, letting his shoulders fall from their perfect pull, "it isn't like being akumatized. I promise, there is no nefarious intention here."

His tactic changed, making him seem more personable and less like a villain. Queen Bee found her resistance falling away as the akumatized crowd below them on the street began to wail with glass-shattering volume. The part of her that was terrified to take on Le Paon wanted to believe him. Twisting in Volpina's hold to angle them away from his view, Queen Bee dropped her voice to a whisper. "Maybe, we should try," Queen Bee nervously threaded her fingers in her trumpo, chewing the inside of her cheek as Volpina gawked at her, "or I can and then if anything goes wrong, you can intervene." She was still convinced that Volpina was the stronger of the two of them, and trusted that her partner would protect her. For a moment her mind wanted to linger on this fact, but Queen Bee pushed it away and focused on the war of emotions fighting across Volpina's face.

Doubt still singed her mind as she processed Queen Bee's suggestion. Volpina didn't want to outright reject it, knowing that Master Fu was suggesting that they work with La Papillion as well, but she couldn't shake her trepidation with the idea. She wasn't strong enough to allow Hawkmoth back in, even with his new name and shiny promises of decency. However, if Queen Bee was brave enough to try, and trusted Volpina to protect her, Volpina wouldn't stop her. If it came down to it, Volpina would sacrifice her own life to save her partner from the potential monster. Shoving that thought from her brain, Volpina looked into her partner's eyes. Nodding, unable to form words around the fear in her chest, Volpina wrapped her fingers into her partner's, turning to face the masked man once again.

"I will try," Queen Bee brought her back into a straight line, trying to appear challenging, "any funny business and Volpina will beat the mess out of you, understood?" Satisfied with the gradual nod of La Papillion's head, Queen Bee released Volpina's hand, stepping forward to accept the consequences of her decision.

In horror, Volpina saw the golden rimmed white butterfly take flight from the end of La Papillion's cane. Logically, she knew it must be a moth, but Ladybug had been calling it a butterfly for so long, she struggled to reconcile those two thoughts. Wings fluttering, in a non-threatening and yet menacing in memory kind of way, the butterfly came to rest on Queen Bee's shoulder. Unlike the akuma moths, it didn't seek out an object to absorb into, instead spreading a startling white pattern over the top half of Queen Bee's body. If she hadn't seen it happen, she would merely think that Queen Bee had upgraded her costume in some way, adding a lacy detail that suspiciously looked like wings spread over her chest. Waiting, tail twitching as the only sign of Volpina's nerves, she held her breath until her partner spoke.

"I'm still me, V," Queen Bee had never called her partner by a nickname, the gesture slipping out as she saw the concern transforming every part of Volpina's face. A new level of partnership and trust had been achieved, standing in their current position when Volpina had trusted her to make this decision. "Wait…" her voice trailed off, concentrating hard on the man in front of her. The voice in her head was not her own, and she furrowed her brow as La Papillion explained his power directly into her mind. "So the telepathy remains that same, but you are not in control of my powers?" She asked the question aloud for Volpina's benefit, experimentally asking La Papillion to do the same with her mind. Up until she was akumatized, she believed it out of the realm of possibility to communicate with someone without speaking. Her previous experiences had taught her otherwise, and now her mind reeled, fighting back the fear of being controlled and trying to accept the sound reasoning of the possibilities the connection presented for stealthily battle. She was so focused on her own thoughts, systematically shutting down her fears one by one to accept the chance she was taking, she startled when one of La Papillion's thoughts interrupted her own. Slipping through, right before La Papillion answered her question, was an unexplainable observation. The words "so much like your mother" rang through Queen Bee's mind as she stumbled backwards in shocked confusion.

"If you hurt her," Volpina caught the suited elbows of her partner, bracing Queen Bee against her as she simultaneously stepping toward La Papillion. Queen Bee's eyes were wide and unfocused, making the fear land in the pit of Volpina's stomach like a wanted sour bolder.

Raising a gloved hand, long slender fingers wrapped in crisp white cloth, La Papillion shook his head. "I won't hurt her, Volpina, those days are behind me. Ask her yourself." Eyes trailing over Queen Bee, he relocated to the edge of the building to look down over Paris.

Hesitantly smiling up at her partner, Queen Bee squeezed Volpina's orange forearm. "I'm okay, thank you," she pushed up, shifting to stand shoulder to shoulder with La Papillion. Looking over her shoulder, she silently urged her partner to do the same. If they wanted to be rid of Le Paon and escape the presence of La Papillion, they needed to work swiftly to stomp out the current threat. "Tell me what to do," she grimaced as cries continued to lift from Le Paon's followers. Pausing to listen to La Papillion's instructions, Queen Bee nodded as she threw herself from the building, leaving the other two heroes to stand in silence.

"Telepathetic," Volpina crouched to throw herself off the building in pursuit of Queen Bee, "I guess that is a thing no matter what form you take."

He smirked, acknowledging her fire with the appreciative noise. "You can join the conversation if you desire."

The fluttering in the glass globe on the top of his cane caught her eye, making her shudder. "No thank you," Volpina pushed herself up onto the ledge, "I prefer my mind free from invasion, thank you very much." She flashed away, not wanting to stay near him any longer, the goosebumps on her skin the only confirmation needed that she couldn't trust him. Flashing through Paris, she sought her partner, eager to be at her side to make sure Queen Bee was safe.

* * *

"There," the voice inside of her head directed, "see the water tower? If you twist the valve, you can release water onto the feather force. Water should destroy the feathers attached to each member. Le Paon isn't strong enough to adhere them any more than she has." Unlike fighting alongside Cat Noir, the random, yet clever naming of Le Paon's army of victims, came without a hint of humor. Queen Bee noted the difference, pushing the observation away as she heard a hum of confusion transfer into her thoughts from La Papillion.

Changing direction, Queen Bee used the information to direct her path, swinging her trumpo onto a suspended bar to carry her to the top of the water tower. Bidding her time, she waited until Volpina used her illusion to separate the newly named feather force from Le Paon, the brick wall a convincing existence to the emotionally blinded victims. Releasing the water in a gentle stream, Queen Bee measured the amount needed to release the victims. As the wailing ceased and the drenched victims began to look around in confusion, Queen Bee quickly tightened the valve hoping that her objective was complete. Getting telekinetic confirmation from La Papillion, Queen Bee let her elation fill her thoughts.

Flipping toward the ground, she cheekily threw a comment back to La Papillion complimenting him on his naming of Le Paon's victims, surprised when there was no return response. Working with La Papillion had been successful, but far less fun than working with her other partners. She heard the huff of disapproval in her mind as she twisted her body in the air, angling herself toward the ground.

Volpina swung her flute, clashing against the blue fan has it waved wildly in her direction. It was clear that Le Paon was still untrained in the art of hand-to-hand combat and Volpina took every advantage of her own developing skills. Rolling to the left, she flung her hand to strike Le Paon hard in the thigh. The fashionable villain stumbled, cursing under her breath as she tried to regain her balance on the points of her heels. Standing, Volpina narrowed her eyes and prepared to strike again.

Landing, shoulder a breath away from Volpina, Queen Bee swung her trumpo flinging it forward to release her lit orbs directly into the blue chest of the unsteady La Paon. Smirking, she maneuvered herself forward, flanking Le Paon on both sides with the help of Volpina. Not needing the power of telekinesis to understand each other, they circled their villain pouncing forward with Queen Bee flying high while Volpina flashed low, knocking the Le Paon from her wobbly perch on top of spiked heels.

Their newest team member landed on the road, and they saw the fear and angry vibrate through the crumbled blue heap. Leaping again, Queen Bee and Volpina went for the final attack, both swooping for the brooch attached to the ornate chest. Fingers outstretched, Volpina could almost touch the pointed feathers of the brooch when the sound of her partner gasping caused her to lose focus. Queen Bee's shocked breath followed by her lifeless collapse to the ground, had Volpina changing directions to land on her knees next to her partner. Cursing, Volpina watched as Le Paon disappeared into the sky. Knowing there was nothing she could do alone, Volpina gathered the shaking body of her partner into her lap and begged for Queen Bee to be alright.

A scream, inhumane and filled with pure pain had ripped through her brain causing Queen Bee to crumple, landing in a heap on the asphalt, wrapping her arms around herself with the sudden shock of the sound. The scream wasn't hers, and it wasn't Volpina's, but it was distinctly female and stabbing into her as she heard La Papillion begin to panic in his own mind. Images flashed in Queen Bee's head, another blond superhero, this one dressed in a oddly recognizable blue, and blurred image of a woman holding a baby. The second one felt familiar and Queen Bee curled into herself trying to cling to it to make it clearer. Recognition snapped into place as she felt La Papillion rip himself from her mind, leaving her heaving with her cheek pressed into the unforgiving asphalt.

She struggled to look up, seeing in the last fleeting moments of his presence the paled cheeks and tear-rimmed eyes disguised beneath the lines of the dark purple mask. He was leaving to travel many miles as quickly as he could, that much she knew, although the exact distance required was unknown. In the last seconds of their connection, she had seen his distress over the miles that separated him from the blond figure of the woman he still loved, even as La Papillion had torn their connection apart before any further details could be revealed.

Somewhere, Adrien's mom was injured and despite the years since her disappearance, it seemed that somehow La Papillion was still connected to her, feeling her anguish as if it was his own. Slumping against Volpina, her heart wondered what kind of love could unite two people so strongly that he could feel her pain at such a great distance, even as her former miraculous flew away in a fit of fury over the Paris skyline.

* * *

All of the light was fading from the Tibetan sky, leaving their campsite bathed in the flickering oranges and reds of their fire. If they were both planning to sleep, it would have been necessary to tuck down the fire for the night; however, this was deemed unnecessary by their cautionary shift sleeping. Shoving Adrien down on the pillow and forcibly zipping their joined sleeping bags together, Marinette insisted that he take the first chance to sleep. His mood had once again began to darken along with the sky and Marinette needed him to rest to let his mind quiet for the time being.

Thoughts ran through his head, loose strings that couldn't stay tied and remained unconnected to each other. Adrien felt on the edge of madness, Marinette's presence the only thread tying him to reality. Grabbing out at her wrist, Adrien pleaded at her with sorrowful eyes, silently begging her not to leave him.

Tucking herself under his shoulders and head, reminiscent of the position she had arranged them in the night before Hawkmoth was revealed, Marinette let her fingers wander through the tangle of blond hair. She heard the purr vibrating from deep in his chest, smiling down at her ridiculously lovable partner. There had been no explanation for his actions around the invisible temple, and Marinette had pushed away the need to pursue them. Adrien would talk to her when he was ready, this much she was sure of.

"Marinette?" The question filled the small tent, innocent and needy. "Will you sing to me?" Adrien wasn't sure if it would work the way it had before, but he would try anything to calm his racing mind.

Humming, Marinette bent to kiss Adrien's temple. "Soft kitty, warm kitty, little ball of fur…" she couldn't help but break into laughter at her own joke.

"Really?" Adrien peered at her through sleep-heavy eyes. "I am not Sheldon." He huffed, joining in her laughter within the same second. He let the laughter shake his body, creeping into the rotting crevasses of his mind and destroying the evil that was taking over. The joke was random, and so much appreciated. Snuggling back into her lap, Adrien placed a kiss to her upper thigh requesting a better song, sighing as Marinette obliged his request.

Ten minutes later, Adrien was fast asleep and snoring, tucked next to the cuddled forms of their kwamis. Slipping from underneath him, Marinette took her place around the fire, watching as the embers flickered and flamed. "Marinette…" the tiny voice behind her had her jumping, spinning around to spy Plagg fretfully holding his position in front of the tent door. "We… we need to talk."

Her stomach slammed into her knee caps as she beckoned Plagg closer. She had seen many sides of Plagg, sarcastic, teasing, playful and even caring and intellectual. A part of her was sad knowing that he was often written off as the goofy kwami, a professional in snarky comments and blunt observations. In brief moments, she had seen a glimpse of the deeper parts of Plagg and she admired this multi-layered kwami more than she had ever put into words.

Now, though, Plagg was reflecting a different energy. Tiny hands wrapped in repetitive circles, eyes downcast and unable to meet her own, and a heavy sag to the slim black shoulders which appeared to be carrying the weight of the world. When Plagg didn't move toward her, Marinette stood, gathering him close to her chest as she sang. If the calming technique worked for Adrien, she was hopeful it would have the same effect on Plagg. Reassured in her decision, Marinette watched as the piercing green eyes became hidden behind fluttering eyelids. He wanted to talk, and she knew this, but she had also seen the exhaustion slamming against the hesitation and decided that her desire to know was less important than Plagg's undeclared need for rest.

They sat for an hour like this, Marinette cradling Plagg in her lap, absentmindedly humming to whatever tunes filtered into her mind. She pictured Tikki curled into Adrien's chest, knowing that her kwami was just as much of a cuddle bug as Adrien was in his sleep. The thought made her smile, the comfort they had gained with each other's kwamis another nod to the impressively cohesive team they had formed.

Her team. Tears stung her as her mind flew thousands of miles away, landing at the feet of her best friend and her other abandoned teammate. Days had passed since she had truly thought about them, and the weight of the guilt for this misstep sank onto her shoulders. Although she had fervently denied it, Alya had been mad. For all she knew, Alya was still angry. Chloe, dressed as Queen Bee, had been supportive, but Marinette wasn't fooled by the smile that never reached the masked eyes. Prayers flew from her lips, silent and urged on by the suppressed tears, begging for them to be alright, begging that they would forgive her, begging for them to be able to handle Paris if she never returned. Alya and Chloe were both so much stronger than they realized, and Marinette made a promise to herself as she sat afflicted by the licking flames of the fire. Somehow, she would make it up to them. Somehow, she would tell them how strong she believed they are. Somehow, she had to keep her promise to return to them. Emotions pressed against the inside of her ribcage, shortening her breath and squeezing at her heart.

"Marinette?" Again, the timid whisper reached out to her, this time from the comfort of her lap. Plagg stared back at her, contemplating her face as much as he was contemplating his next words. "I have to tell you something. A few things." He hung his head, and for a moment, Marinette mistakenly assumed he was laughing.

A choked sob shattered Marinette's heart, urging her to wrap her body around Plagg, gently pressing kisses to his head. Nothing good could be coming, but Marinette thrust the fear away, concentrating only on comforting the shaking kwami in her lap. Soothed, Plagg took a quivering breath, calmly gripping his hands together and slowly opening and closing his eyes.

"Earlier, I gave you a description of the temple. Physical description of large columns and angular ceilings. I told you about the blind spots and potential for hidden corridors and support beams which were tailor made for your sneak attack," Plagg released a ragged breath, cracking his neck as he continued. "But Marinette that place… that place is…" again, Plagg was shaking against her legs, Marinette staying silent to allow him to collect himself. Resolve setting his shoulders straight, Plagg met her gaze directly, "that place is evil. The magic there is very strong and created from the darkest depths of Xiao's soul. If you transform in or out of your miraculouses within that magic, they will forever be corrupted."

Marinette let this knowledge sink in while Plagg waited. Hawkmoth had been the greatest evil they had faced, all of the akuma victims were merely his tools in perpetrating his wrath. In the end, Hawkmoth had been Adrien's father, a man who had lost his way when love had been ripped from his life. He was human, and heart broken, and those two factors were easily understood.

True evil, however, had been a force that Marinette had never seen. Someone who wasn't fueled by human emotions of heart break and sadness, but functioned with evil running through their veins. An evil of that kind wouldn't care that they were too young to die. This evil wouldn't be content with stealing their miraculouses, it would come for them to steal their minds, bodies and souls. All of this resonated without Plagg even saying the words.

"There's more," Plagg sounded exhausted, even after his nap, and Marinette found herself once again wishing she could relieve the pain he was in. "You are the half of the pair that lives in the light, basked with luck and goodness. Because of this, the pull of the darkness, the call to evil, won't even echo around you. For Adrien, though, his miraculous is the balance. Where there is light, there must be dark, that's how the miraculouses work. Each has a harmonizing partner, and when the box is unbalanced, like it has been since for the last few decades, it is in jeopardy of that scale tipping. Those miraculouses that live without a partner are susceptible to the call of evil, but none more than the miraculous which survives on destruction and chaos." Plagg hung his head, shame radiating off of him in waves. "Me. I'm the one that can easily be pulled into the darkness. And I will drag Adrien with me. Even with you and Tikki by our sides, the call is strong, and it will take all of my resistance to keep us both from responding to it."

"But Adrien has a balance, and so do you. He has me and you have Tikki. If we are your partners, why isn't that enough?" Her question was childish, a product of her adversity to the idea of Adrien or Plagg ever being caught in the net of evil.

"It might be enough," Plagg's lie was obvious, but they both chose to let it go, "that place is pure evil though, and its effects still linger on me even at a distance. They cling to Adrien as well, that's why he is so _surly_." Marinette chuckled at this, the sound combining with Plagg's own chuckle to create a nervous song. "You won't be able to stay long and you need to avoid Xiao at all costs. He is cocky, and so he leaves the miraculous box on a pillar in the main room, guarded only by what appears to be his head guard." Now, Plagg wouldn't make eye contact, hands burying his face.

"I won't make you say it out loud," Marinette could barely scrap the words from her throat, the bone drying dread making it nearly impossible to speak. "It's her, isn't it?"

Plagg nodded, "she isn't what Adrien is expecting. She is corrupted somehow, not with a miraculous obviously, but somehow Xiao has changed her. Lavande was all elegance and sunshine. Now…" he trailed off, unwilling to admit what he had seen, afraid saying it would make it real. "Adrien will be in shock, so you need to be prepared to work alone. Save your lucky charm for the last minute, and do whatever you have to do to keep Adrien from using his cataclysm. I don't know what would happen if he did, but I don't really want to find out." Snuggling closer into her lap, Plagg sighed, the relief of releasing his secrets finally letting his body relax. "You will need to pull her away by force, and you may have to fight her. I don't know if Adrien is capable of the second one." A yawn stifled from Marinette's lap. "Bring her back alive, Gabriel and Fu can help with the rest."

Plagg collapsed back into sleep in her lap, a dark ball against her pale jeans. Marinette shivered. The night air was cold against her back, conflicting with the warmth of the fire on her front. They were going to have to fight Adrien's mother. In all of the scenarios she had imagined, fighting Lavande had never been one of them. She had wrongly assumed that his mom would be trapped in a dungeon, secured by shackles and wasting away waiting to be rescued. Instead, she had somehow become a trusted piece of whatever Xiao was planning.

Adrien stumbled from the tent, waving sleepily toward Marinette and pushing her shoulders toward the opened flap. Silently, she stood, careful not to jostle Plagg's sleeping form, and dragged herself inside the cloth protection. A conversation of this magnitude was better off in the daylight, she reasoned, allowing her own exhaustion to pull her into sleep.

* * *

"Is that the best you've got?" Marinette teased, flicking her practice yo-yo out to clash with Adrien's bow. "Come on, kitty, you'll have to fight harder than that." Adrien had woken from his second round of sleep with fire in his eyes and an aching itch for a fight. Marinette had recognized the need immediately, foregoing her own needs for rest to haul Adrien toward the flat space near the small lake to the left of their campsite. Neither of them had noticed the water when they had settled down for the night, declaring the luck of Tikki the reason why it existed so closely to them. Stalking her boyfriend in a circle, Marinette smirked, throwing her arm and latching her yo-yo string onto his leg. The exaggerated noises he made as she dragged him toward her had her giggling into her palm. Fighting evil wouldn't be like this, and at the moment, Marinette couldn't find a way to care about that. They needed this right now, and she was going to push away the nightfall plans to enjoy this while she could.

Adrien let himself be dragged across the ground, aiding Marinette's pull by shoving his own body forward. She was strong, even in civilian form, but the yo-yo string wasn't nearly as remarkable as the miraculous version. Bidding this time, Adrien waited until he was a foot from Marinette before hooking her behind the knees with his bow and bringing her crashing down on top of him. He laughed with the little bit of breath left in his chest. The world had been dark when he woke up, clouding his eyes to all things good. Now that darkness was breaking, the sunlight beaming from Marinette deconstructing it with loving rays. Smiling up at her, Adrien let his fingers travel through her tangled hair. "You're a mess." Her body shook against his with her laughter, making him laugh and squirm from the sensation of it.

"You are not much better, dirt boy," Marinette poked his cheek. Her Adrien was back. The ball of optimistic sunshine that had crashed into her world was once again smiling up at her. It was intriguing, the way the light and the dark warred within him. Surely, she had felt negative emotions such as jealously and anger, but Marinette had never found herself in the same battle. Even with all the negativity, her heart remained soft and determined, never wavering from the confidence that they could succeed, even when her brain did.

The need to kiss Marinette became overwhelming, like a siren screaming in his brain, focusing him to one specific desire. Restraining himself, he pulled her down, chasing her lips with soft kisses that were a terrible representation of what he actually wanted. He felt his reservations slipping away as he ran his hands on her back, squeezing her tighter to him.

Maybe in some way, they both needed this, in the same way they had both needed the playful sparring session. Taunting and teasing throughout a workout was routine for them, occurring even when Master Fu was observing their actions. Kissing had also become second nature. Marinette no longer squawked and squabbled whenever Adrien got too close, and Adrien no longer flushed with hesitation. They continued to find each other, providing exactly what the other needed. That was, until Marinette felt Adrien flip his hand under the hem of her shirt, fingers gracing across her bare lower back and up her spine. The tingles were stealing her breath as her mother's words rang in her ears. "Hey," she broke the kiss, leaning above him with her palms braced on the hard ground to either side of his head. "We're both pretty disgusting right now." She was chickening out of a more difficult conversation, pulling the collar of her shirt to smell it for emphasis. The stench had her immediately scrambling from Adrien's touch, scared his excellent sense of smell was already offended by her filth.

It wasn't until she was rushing to part from him that his brain registered the toxic smell wafting from both of them. His mind had been reeling from the mixed scents of arousal, appreciating that his Cat Noir senses had heightened his senses as Adrien and allowing him to enjoy Marinette's closeness in a completely different way. With her body standing a foot away from his, the smell of sweat and dirt became stronger, making him gag with the earthy taste of it. "Want to try dipping in the lake? Once we are clean, I guess we better strategize." Adrien walked casually toward the edge of the water, flicking his shoes off with his opposite toes. They had already decided to move as soon as the sun began to set, confirming with their pilot the change of pick up coordinates. If all went well, they would be leaving Tibet tonight, taking the miraculous box and his mother with him. The excitement and apprehension had him bouncing on his toes as he stripped off his shirt and socks to run splashing into the water.

Marinette's whole body seemed to be watching as Adrien's stormed through the water, now only covered by cloth from his hips to just above his knees. The phantoms of his fingers on her back still tingled, and Marinette found herself caught between rushing to join him and feeling glued to her spot in the dirt. Her movements were dreamlike as she made her way to the water, repeating his actions by dropping her shoes and socks into a pile. Briefly, she paused, holding the hem of her shirt. Her bra was solid black and no more revealing than her polka-dotted swimsuit top. Seizing her shirt, she yanked it over her head, dropping it on top of her shoes and wadding into the water.

At first, Adrien was convinced it was a mirage. Marinette's pale skin, aided in remaining pale with the copious amounts of sunscreen she had applied, glistened in the afternoon sunlight. Every part of him was aching to touch her, needing so badly to remind himself that she was real, and she was with him. He waited though, holding himself back until she was winding his arms around his neck. "Want me to wash your hair?" His hands were shaking and he could hear his own nerves in his question.

"Sure," Marinette said, separating from him with a grazing kiss to lean her upper half forward into the water. "I'm sorry, it has become a rat's nest. I cannot wait for a proper shower." She sighed as Adrien began to gently pull apart her knots, the cool water trickling down her neck and over her shoulders.

He took great care in separating the dirt from her pigtails, finally able to tug the elastic ties free from both ends to loop them onto his wrists. As her blue strands fell into the water, he scoped them up gently washing each section with intense concentration. If he focused on her hair, he could keep his mind from wandering to the way the muscles flexed in her back, and avoid the distraction of her wet shorts that now pulled dangerously low over her hips. His body was beginning to react, and Adrien had to fight against himself to maintain his composure.

His composure was almost lost completely when Marinette flipped herself backwards, arching her back in a controlled bridge to rinse her hair from the other direction. Beads of water ran over her torso, pooling at the seams of her bra making his mouth become a confusing mix of too much and too little salvia. Adrien found himself swallowing hard, slipping a hand under her lower back, telling himself he was only trying to keep her steady.

Satisfied with their joint effort, Marinette stretched back into a standing position, realizing too late that she was bringing herself flush to Adrien's chest. Heat shot through her as their wet skin slid together, making breathing an impossible feat. Weakly, she choked out, "your turn," dumping a cupped hand full of water over Adrien's head. His catlike hiss made her giggle, stepping back to release some of the tension that their closeness had caused.

Working his tangles as gently as he had worked through hers, Marinette contemplated their next steps. They needed to sit with Tikki and Plagg, strategies for the night needed to be put in place and memorized. Once they transformed, the advice of the kwamis would stop there and they needed every ounce of information before that happened. The position of the sun told Marinette that they were in midafternoon, pride leaking into her about how quickly she had adapted to this skill. Judging time by the placement of the sun was never a thought in her mind, but she would continue to practice it once they returned home.

Because they would return home. During her second shift of wakeful guard, Marinette had made this decision. They may be without the miraculous box. They may go home without Adrien's mother. But they would go home. Their families, their teammates, and their friends were relying on them to return. Marinette wasn't ready to believe that she didn't have a life left to live with Adrien, and she was determined to have the time. The time to get to know every facet of each other, the time to fall deeper into love, and the time to strengthen every part of their bond. They would have forever together, and she was not going to let this idea go.

The sight of Adrien fiercely shaking his blond locks dry had Marinette doubling over in hysterics, arms wrapped around her belly. When he splashed her, arm moving through the water to create a small tidal wave, she gawked at him in shock. Steeling herself, she used both arms to create waves of her own, soaking him completely. Through his sputters, she heard him hiss a mild threat, giving her reason to squeal and set off running through the water. She heard him racing behind her and braced herself for impact. Instead, strong arms came to circle her waist, lifting her up to spin her in a circle, before they landed in a heap together at the water's edge. "Your back is going to need to be washed," Marinette teased, wiping stray hairs away from Adrien's forehead. She concentrated on his smoldering green eyes as a distraction from the bare skin that was once again pressed together.

The mud and rocks were uncomfortable under his bare back, but Marinette rested above him, framed by the afternoon sun making him forget his discomfort. His skin was covered in goosebumps, the source of which he was struggling to determine. To his surprise, she moved first, bowing her head to kiss him. Fireworks exploded in his brain, feeding his need to hold her impossibly close. Wrapping his arms around her slim figure, he found the feeling of her bare skin under his fingertips irresistible. He let his hands roam, patiently counting the seconds until she told him to stop.

If the battle between light and dark warred within Adrien, it was the war of desire and reason that took over the battlefields inside of Marinette. Part of her was still sixteen, experiencing the new desires of a budding young adult and relishing in how alive they were making her feel. The other part of her, the louder, more mature part, was aware that they were out in the open, preparing to risk their lives in a few short hours, and definitely not in the right head space to move any further than they already had.

In his own right, Adrien had come to the same conclusions, stopping himself at the line that they never crossed. If there was a medal for resistance, Adrien wanted it. Letting his head drop back, he fondly cupped Marinette's cheek, accepting her full weight on him as she dropped onto his shoulder. His contemplation of last night's fire had given him several matching resolutions to Marinette's and he was determined to return to Paris. There, they would live out the rest of their lives learning to love each other properly, taking whatever time they needed to do everything right. They were partners, and together they would learn everything they ever needed to know about life and love.

Standing she offered a hand to Adrien, yanking him up and laughing at his dirt smeared back. Running back into the water, Marinette helped him clean his skin, stealing kisses and laughing together through the last few hours of the afternoon.

* * *

The only sound was the pounding of the horses' hooves on the ground. Talking had ceased to exist thirty minutes ahead of their arrival at the temple. Tikki shook against Marinette's chest, an unspoken fear for her team making her body quake. At the warning hiss from Adrien's jacket, they stopped, veering to the right of the mountain range to hide amongst the small grouping of trees. Their horses would remain there, tucked into the wooded cluster, waiting for whatever combination of them returned alive.

Sinking from his horse, Adrien slid the burner phone into the hidden portion of his backpack. They had three hours until the plane landed at the location of their campsite, which gave them exactly two hours to return to this spot. He remembered how long three hours felt when he was sitting in class battling his exhaustion and trying to retain a portion of the lesson. He remembered how long three hours had felt as he had waited to pick up Marinette for their first date. Now, three hours felt like a blink of time, nowhere near a substantial enough window to complete their mission.

Their time in Tibet had come down to this moment. Marinette suppressed the sickness in her stomach, willing her Ladybug confidence to take over. Tikki pulled Plagg into her, the blur of red and black again reminding Marinette of the ying yang. Copying Tikki's actions, Marinette yanked Adrien into her arms, smothering his lips with a bruising kiss. The call for the transformation was unneeded as Tikki and Plagg entered their miraculous homes, taking the embracing forms of Marinette and Adrien to the kissing forms of Ladybug and Cat Noir. Allowing only one more minute of time, they held and kissed each other as if it would be the last thing they ever did. Neither one of them pointed this out as they set forth over the mountain and onto the grounds of the temple.

It was huge. Cat Noir noticed the sheer mass of the building as soon as his transformed eyes had registered its existence. Ornate columns of black and gold surrounded the entire outside, with an impossibly large garden extending in all directions. None of the plants growing fit with the climate or resources in this section of the world and Cat Noir supposed it was a form of magic that kept the produce alive. There were no closeable doors at any of the entrances, instead carved openings decorated with golden leaves and sinister looking animals appeared around the threshold of each. Swinging onto the angular roof, Cat Noir felt his feet slip, clawing his way to safety with the aid of Ladybug's grip on his wrist.

Plagg had told them that the roof was designed to protect against aerial attacks, its multiple angles making it nearly impossible to land without immediately skidding to one's death on the ground below. Ladybug perched in a crouch at the tip of one odd-angled pyramid, smiling at Cat Noir as he mimicked her position. There were air vents, tucked away between the tilted angles, just as Plagg had predicted. Moving carefully, Ladybug eased herself to a point directly above a vent, looping her yo-yo around a bar while Cat Noir slid his bow into the opposite side. Together, they shimmied it upward, lifting it to place it aside with deafening silence.

The crawling sensation that had crept over his skin when they entered the property dug its way into Cat Noir's bones as he lowered himself next to Ladybug on a support beam. He could hear whispers whipping through his brain, intense sounds without discernable words attached. It made him feel distracted and irritated, his skin burning as he shook his head in frustration. Reaching out, he felt Ladybug's fingers tangle with his. The touch muted the ghosts in his mind, giving him a momentary break from the onslaught of internal noises. Finally able to focus, he clamped his bow-holding hand over his mouth. His eyes could not believe nor process the scene playing out in front of him.

Rows of masked fighters were colliding with each other, appearing to be sparring at the exact commands of an unseen leader. The masks of the two closest rows were unfamiliar. A row of fighters, identical in appearance, were dressed in browns and blacks, with white ears and small white tails. Colliding in dictated combat with this row was a second row, dressed in deep greens and dark grays. The tails on these fighters were also small relative in size to the bodies they were attached to, but equipped with what appeared to be stingers. Four other lines of unfamiliar forms were wielding weapons with powerful force, more force than Ladybug and Cat Noir had ever used in sparring. A sick feeling rolled over inside of Cat Noir's stomach, realizing that they must be seeing the product of other miraculouses. Next to him, Ladybug released a low hiss, a sound that would have made Plagg proud. A nod of her head had Cat Noir returning his attention to the temple floor.

Battling in the center of the room was line of his own mirror images, exchanging hits with the mirror images of his own partner. To the left, there was a line of Volpina and Queen Bee lookalikes dueling it out and to the right a line of bring green fighters bringing hard strikes against elegantly dressed purple fighters. They were all there, represented by imposters, except for the costume of the peacock miraculous. What Xiao was planning to do with a team of potentially fake heroes was unfathomable to Cat Noir, but the sight remained disturbing nonetheless.

Tearing her eyes away from the practicing army, Ladybug searched for the one giving the commands. She knew as soon as Lavande came into sight, Cat Noir was going to struggle, and she needed confirmation of her presence before she warned him. The blond figure appeared among the lines of heroes, her long blond hair braided in a complicated form down her back. She was dressed in black, her shirt a skin tight turtleneck covering her arms and torso while her pants appeared masculine in nature, slim fitting but equipped with a remarkable amount of pockets. Thin fitting combat boots adorned her feet and sparkling from her ears were strangely large gold hoops. She moved through the line of fighters, firing commands and correcting mistakes with an ice cold dominance. Le Paon would be jealous of Lavande's confidence, this Ladybug was sure of.

It couldn't be his mother that Adrien was seeing. His mother loved flowy dresses and big sun hats. She loved pinks and blues and her necklace shaped like a flower. Like him, his mother had rays of sun for hair, generally letting it tumble freely down her back or mildly controlled in a low pony tail or braid. Her voice was like trickling water, soft and soothing. The woman pacing the floor, demanding perfection from her fighters was none of these things. Her body was rigid, her blond hair pinned back in controlled braids which wound tightly together down her back. Instead of loving hugs, she delivered correcting kicks to the backs of the fighters, harshly reminding them of their roles. She was every bit as beautiful as his mother, but where his mother had been inviting, this version was terrifying. Cat Noir felt the whispers increase in his mind, a grueling invitation of their own pressing into his brain.

The flicker of darkness over his green irises had Ladybug yanking Cat Noir to her, kissing him until the familiar hue had returned. Once they revealed themselves from their hiding place, she wouldn't be able to bring him back like this. The terror zipped through her, opening her up to a flood of emotions which she hurriedly stuffed back into their proverbial boxes to stow away. She had to be prepared to work alone. Plagg had warned her, and now she knew how crucial that advice would be. Footsteps on the ground had her whirring her head, jaw slacking as the fighters vacated the massive main hall. Signaling to Cat Noir, they leapt from beam to beam until they were able to see the miraculous box, sitting unguarded on the flat top of a pedestal. If Xiao was arrogant enough to leave it open for snatching, they were certainly going to make him regret that decision. In front of the pedestal, the shell of Adrien's mother stood with a smile playing at her lips.

Taking a deep breath, Ladybug flipped her finger toward the ground. Together they leaped, landing on either side of Lavande Agreste.

Cat Noir almost collapsed. All around him a tornado of invasive thoughts spun, begging him to accept their convictions as his own. Searching in vain for Ladybug's blue eyes of reassurance, he locked onto his love, allowing her calming aura to build a shield around him giving him the strength to stand. He stared at the woman standing with a hard look on her face, hands locked behind her back as if not threatened at all. She was his mother, and yet not, all at the same time.

The first thing Ladybug noted was the unnatural red rim around the naturally green irises. It looked painful and angry against the eyes Ladybug had only seen in pictures. The second thing she noticed was the angry red rings where the heavy gold hoops impaled Lavande's ear lobes. The lobes were stretched, allowing the earrings to rest on her slight shoulders and her earlobes appeared to be screaming in agony, despite Lavande's lack of acknowledgement of the certain discomfort. The third thing Ladybug noticed was the flinch of Lavande's smile, slight and easily missed, as she took in the sight of Cat Noir. Ladybug briefly wondered if Lavande recognized her son, concern for Cat Noir's safety growing exponentially as their foe rounded on him.

"Come to be heroes, have we?" Her voice had returned to the relaxing pitch that Cat Noir remembered from his childhood. It was the voice of his mother and he took an instinctive step towards the sound.

"Why do we need to be heroes, Mrs. Agreste?" Ladybug noted the second flinch cross her face, stepping to Cat Noir's side to hold him in place. "Is what you are doing wrong in some way?" Her questions were purposefully coy, attempting to bait Lavande while they positioned themselves to retrieve the miraculous box. Once procured, Ladybug hoped to knock Lavande unconscious and drag her from the temple prepared to sort out whatever was possessing her once they had Master Fu and Gabriel's assistance.

"Why don't you join me and find out Ladybug?" Lavande stalked forward, hands unlinking from behind her back, fingers flexing in preparation for a fight. "Or are you calling yourself something else? Freewill in naming was always such a bitch if I do say so myself."

Cat Noir quivered under her fingers, his eyes unfocused as his bow twitched back and forth. Guiding him behind her, Ladybug shushed words of love into his ear as they bodies brushed together. She felt him take control again, sinking into his own fighting stance as Ladybug unhooked her yo-yo. "Ladybug is fine, I'm a traditionalist it would seem. And what shall we call you? Lady Pois? Lavande Agreste?"

"Mom?" Cat Noir added, sending the verbal daggers directly to their target. He was bolstered when he saw his mother visibly jolt at the world. If he could ward off the onslaught of the evil begging to immerse itself in him, he knew he could use the knowledge of his mother to distract her. Judging by the muscles twitching beneath her clothing, they were going to need every advantage they could get.

"I'm no mother. I am a commander. The commander of Master Xiao's army. If you children think you are a match for me, you will die finding out how wrong you are." Lavande threw her arm, cleanly catching the end of Cat Noir's bow as he launched at her, flipping him over her head and onto his back. Arrogance kept her from watching his path, the smirk on her face trained on Ladybug during his fall. She never saw Cat Noir pluck the miraculous box from the pedestal, tossing it to a visible spot on the other side of the temples rear facing opening. Step one was executed, separating the miraculous box from the inside of the temple. Now for every other step that would carry them safely home.

Patience. Ladybug breathed, bringing her lungs to full capacity and then heaving the air from her lungs. Tikki had emphasized that rash decisions would not fare well against an enemy as well trained as Lavande. Her chest burned with the control she was exercising, worry increasing as stillness settled around them. Lavande continued her pursuit of Ladybug, following her lead around the elevated platform. When the first blow came her way, Ladybug was ready, blocking Lavande's striking arm with the string of her yo-yo. The sound of slicing flesh made Ladybug's stomach turn, bile rising as Lavande snapped her arm back, blood running down her arm. Fire erupted in the red-rimmed eyes, bringing Lavande forward again to tackle Ladybug around the waist, lifting her to slam her against the wall. A hand, possessing far more strength than was plausible, wrapped itself around Ladybug's throat and squeezed.

Stars erupted behind Ladybug's eyes, red apparitions of the searing pain constricting her wind pipe. The world was growing dark as Ladybug struggled against the hold, feet coming up to brace themselves against Lavande's stomach as Cat Noir latched his bow around her neck. Returning to the room from the sea of blind pain, Ladybug saw the tears coursing over Cat Noir's cheeks as he wrestled Lavande away from Ladybug, bow pressing into her neck while her hands attempted to force it away. They tangled at the stairs, both of them toppling, Cat Noir flinging Lavande backwards onto the marble floor with a nauseating thud.

Racing to Cat Noir's side, Ladybug pulled him to his feet, catching his limp body as he trembled in her arms. Inaudible sounds escaped him as he clung to her, both of them facing the fallen body of their foe. Approaching her, Ladybug steadied Cat Noir and positioned herself to lift Lavande's limp body. She never saw the blow coming.

Knocked backwards against a dark marble column, Ladybug felt the world spin out, her breath stolen from her chest as the black-clad figure rushed her. Cat Noir fell to his knees, hands braced over his ears, rocking back and forth as the two woman collided again. Ladybug felt beaten, but she could see the breaking point in Lavande's eyes and was determined to push her over the edge. A sharp right hook connected with Lavande's chin, releasing a horrid animalistic cry from her mouth. "Miraculous wielders don't fight with their fists!" The statement was coated in angry acid, spat at Ladybug like an accusation.

"Welcome to the new generation, grandma," Ladybug smirked at her own insult, refusing to admit to herself how badly her hand hurt. Practicing punching, and actually punching a jaw were apparently two very different experiences. Dodging Lavande's continuous attempts at punches and kicks, Ladybug circled around to position herself closer to her partner. She needed to find a way to reach him, while continuing to beat Lavande down. Blocking another punch, Ladybug lashed out, rounding a kick directly into Lavande's upper thigh and bringing her to the ground. Snapping her yo-yo, Ladybug wound Lavande's legs together, rendering her unable to stand. "Cat Noir," Ladybug leaned into his ear, "kitty, come back to me." She kept tabs on Lavande's struggling form, tightening the yo-yo knot every time Lavande attempted to stand.

It was like an alarm clock interrupting a dream, quiet at first and increasing in volume with every ignored instance. He longed to silence it, reaching out to stop the noise by pushing Ladybug away from him. Then he felt it. Her hand wrapped into his, her fingers pressing into the back of his hand as she clung to him. The feeling crawled over his hand, searing up his arm and pushing back the frightening darkness that was fighting against his will for control. He stood, waking up from the nightmare, pulling Ladybug to stand beside him. Lavande was thrashing on the ground, pulling at the yo-yo cord still wound tight around her legs, blood dripping from her arm and the side of her mouth. Cat Noir bent over her, at a distance to keep himself from being hit by her flailing arms. "You are a mother," he state calmly, focusing on her eyes, willing her to come back to him, "you are a wife, you are a friend. You are not the commander of any army and you do not belong to Xiao. Come back to me, mom."

There was a pause, none of them moving. Lavande seemed to react to the word, her face wrenching together in unreadable emotion. Cat Noir seemed to win a battle with the acknowledgement, shaking away whatever had been chasing him since they had landed on the temple floor. Ladybug felt only a cloak of apprehension. Lavande was without a mask, which meant that there was a chance Xiao knew her civilian entity. If he was watching, or was somehow reading Lavande's mind, he would now know Cat Noir's identity as well. The thought made Ladybug quash a dry heave.

Lavande's hands laid limp on the ground at her sides, her head banged back against the ground, eyes trained on the ceiling above her. Cat Noir moved, backing away in apprehension of the situation. Ladybug pulled her yo-yo back to her side, standing near Lavande's still form unable to determine what was happening. Silently they watched as Lavande twitched on the ground, one hand slowly dipping into her hip pocket.

A long silver dagger slid from beneath the folds. Reacting simultaneously, Ladybug and Cat Noir dove toward Lavande. Ladybug heard the call, the familiar command for Cat Noir's cataclysm, hearing it complete itself before she could stop him.

Violent tremors hit Cat Noir as the black cataclysm formed over his hand. The whispers became shouts, demanding his attention and wracking his body with their potency. He slumped to the ground, unable to contain the earthquake disrupting his body. His hand fell over his head, gracing the golden hoop still dangling from Lavande's left ear.

She was too late, the silver tip plunged into the first layer of Lavande's skin as Ladybug threw herself to capture the dagger with her own gloved hand. The weapon dragged from its point of impact, leaving a bloody trail across Lavande's chest before sinking into the flesh at the base of her shoulder. The sound of the flesh separating around the blade followed by the clink of the tip of the dagger hitting the marble floor on the other side of Lavande's body made Ladybug lurch. Lavande's scream, conscious and aware that she had missed her mark, made Ladybug shake from the vicious nature of it. Cat Noir rolled on the floor, screeching sounds pulsating from him.

There was no way she could pull both bodies from the temple, not while also securing the miraculous box. She refused to leave Cat Noir behind and was unwilling to leave Lavande behind to die. Knowing that these were her last moments in the temple, with or without fulfilling their objectives, Ladybug called for her lucky charm.

A small pouch shaped like a mouse landed in her palm. It wasn't often that Marinette cursed, but she let every curse word she knew in both French and English fly from her mouth. What on earth was she supposed to do with a cat toy?

The smell reached his nose, zinging through his senses and bringing Cat Noir to his knees. It intoxicated him, blocking out all other smells and sounds. Wildly he searched for the source, scrambling to Ladybug with his nose tipped into the air. Zeroing in on the pouch in her hand, Cat Noir pounced, pushing his face onto the soft fabric.

Cat nip. If the situation was less tragic, Ladybug could have found humor in it. As it stood, Lavande was clinging to the last strands of consciousness and her partner was acting like a madman. Pulling the bag to her face, she scratched Cat Noir under his chin when his face chased it. "Kitty, if you go grab the miraculous box, you can have this." She heard him whine and logged the mental note to tease him about it later. "Go get the box, kitty." Cat Noir leapt to his feet, racing to the edge of the temple and tackling the box on the ground.

Lifting Lavande into her arms, Ladybug struggled under the weight, willing herself to stay upright and start moving. She spotted the nearest opening in the temple wall, walking toward it with as much speed as she could muster. Cat Noir clambered to her side, hands clutching the lower half of the miraculous box, following the scent of the cat nip. Together they returned to their horses, Cat Noir's senses returning with every foot they put between themselves and the temple.

Ladybug lifted Lavande's now unconscious body over her horse, keeping her panic at bay by finding her pulse and convincing herself that help would be waiting for them. Cat Noir mounted his own steed, looking worn and worried, wanting to volunteer to carry his mother to safety but not trusting himself to do so. Even though the murmurs were now memories, Cat Noir could feel their lingering effects on his mind and heart.

Racing away from their protective hiding place, Cat Noir and Ladybug set off at a grueling pace. They needed to put hurried distance between themselves and the temple ahead of their transformations. They needed to reach their flight in time so their pilot wouldn't abandon them. Mostly, they needed to get Lavande to someone who could save her life.

Standing at the largest of the openings to the temple, the one outlined in the intertwined gold forms of every miraculous, Xiao grinned with the power of his own plan. His brother was an idiot, sending ill-trained and ill-prepared miraculous wielders into his temple. If only he could see his brother's face when Lavande arrived dead at his doorstep. Oh how Xiao wished he could witness his brother's grief, watch not one, but potentially four miraculous holders succumb to the darkness it would bring. No matter, Xiao thought as he turned back into the building craved of magic and spite, Fu would be seeing him soon enough. Then he would get to see his older brother fall from grace, once and for all.


	20. Chapter 20

**I apologize for the insane hiatus that this story went on. It is hard (painfully, ridiculously hard) to stay motivated to write a story this detailed when essentially a handful of people are reading it. That is not to say that I don't appreciate every single one of you, because I do, so, so much. You are the reason that I am still here and writing and please know that I am so very grateful for EVERY reader!**

 **This chapter has been reworked so many times it is honestly ridiculous at this point. Originally, this chapter was going to encompass the transition all the way back to Paris, but I decided to separate them. My heart by nature is very fluffy and there is only so much angst I can handle at once (hence why humor and fluff get interjected). The next chapter will bring all of our heroes back together, for better or worse.**

 **There may be some triggering components to this chapter, as Lavande remains injured as we progress. After a lot of deliberation, I chose to keep the most graphic details about her wound care out of the story line. There was no way to include them without potentially triggering someone, and in the end those details weren't needed to make this chapter effective (at least I don't think so, but let me know if you have another opinion).**

 **Also, for those of you who will question the travel times and each characters arrival... trust me on this... I researched it and the travel times work out in real time.**

 **Again, thanks for being here, and welcome to another round of pain and suffering.**

* * *

The world around them was dark, the only light being the natural glow of the moon as it hung like a beacon over the vast landscape. Horse hooves thundered against the ground, a raging sound rhythmically beating in time with their labored breathing. The silence beyond those immediate noises was deafening, a pounding reminder that they were alone, racing desperately toward their own blind hope.

Cat Noir's transformation occurred first, the flashes of light startled the horses, momentarily disrupting their forward progress across the muddy ground. Adrien felt a singe of relief as he was separated from Plagg, snagging his kwami in mid-air to slip the tiny exhausted body into a cheese-filled pocket. Plagg sagged against his chest, the unwrapping and careless chewing of the porous food the only sounds giving Adrien reassurance about Plagg's well-being.

His whole body was wrecked. If it wasn't for the surge of adrenaline vibrating through every cell, Adrien was positive he would collapse. Every breath hurt. His brain felt clouded in a veil of confusion, a separation between himself and reality falling like a translucent curtain. He needed Marinette; he needed the warmth of her touch and the faith of her words. He needed her in a full-body aching kind of way. Those needs were left behind in the dirt though, as he watched the pink and red light flash in front of his eyes, stripping away the heroine façade, revealing Marinette's sweat soaked back and tensed shoulders. Perhaps she needed him as well, but there were other hurdles to surpass before Adrien could find out.

Marinette didn't have a hand to spare to catch Tikki. One hand was wrapped into the horse's mane, while the other was clumsily clutching Lavande Agreste. Breathe hitching, Marinette felt only a hint of relief as Tikki flung into the jacket pocket, sighing as she chomped into a cookie. Without the miraculous though, Marinette found her strength waning. Grinding her teeth, Marinette forced herself to keep her hold on the limp body draped in front of her. Praying that Lavande would live to see her family again, Marinette's head snapped up at a familiar sound of grinding metal.

The steel gray plane rested two hundred yards away from them, a figure standing on the boarding platform. By the stature alone, Marinette registered that it was the same pilot as who had dropped them off, naïve and confused several days earlier. The naivety had been abandoned, part of left in the bottom of a lake, some of it scattered over the barren landscape, and the last of it bleeding out on the marble floor of Xiao's temple of doom. The confusion remained, slamming against the unrelenting need for more answers and the desperation for safety. Their whole world was balanced on its head, leaving Adrien and Marinette teetering on the edge of their own mortality.

Pulling their horses to an abrupt halt, Marinette accepted the concerned hand offered by their stoic pilot. His eyes focused on Lavande, the breath hissing between his teeth as he slid the limp body from the horse. She was still warm and the weak signs of life still hovered around her, despite the bumpy ride and the blade buried deep into her body. The wound had closed around the blade, making Marinette feel ill as she considered the sinister nature of the weapon. An ordinary dagger would have ripped Lavande's insides apart, leaving her to drain blood over the ground for every inch of their bumpy ride. Instead, her skin had pulled towards the blade, appearing adhered to the metal, shining in the reflection of the moonlight.

She let their pilot take control, the protest dying on her lips as he gingerly wrapped his arms around Lavande's muscular, but petite body. Marinette had no idea how to help her, and an instinctual trust told her that maybe their quiet pilot could. No one had promised them that they would arrive here without injuries, and maybe, just maybe, Gabriel and Master Fu had been prepared for this situation. They had kept Adrien and Marinette in the dark on so many different issues, it wouldn't be surprising to find another detail that had simply gone unspoken.

Helpless, Marinette watched as their pilot carried Lavande onto the plane. It was Tikki's small noise that brought her back to reality, opening her pocket to peer down at the tired kwami. "Aim the horses to the north and set them on their way. Either they will reach the nearest town by daylight or join the wild horses that roam the hills. They will be safe, no matter what path they choose." Tikki nodded to Marinette as she bit back into her cookie.

Unlatching her bag, Marinette tossed it toward the plane before retrieving Adrien's from the crude strap wrapping the side of his horse. Her partner looked horrible, the personification of misery and concern, curled on the ground with his arms wrapped tightly around his middle. Tossing the bag aside, Marinette smacked the hind quarters of each horse, wishing them goodbye and thanking them out loud as they raced off toward their own destiny. She had barely squared herself to the plane when she felt Adrien slump onto her side.

Everything felt dark. The world felt devoid of light despite the moon hanging over him in mocking brightness. He had been sitting on the ground, unaware of the feeling of sturdy earth beneath him and somehow he had ended up bracing himself on Marinette's side. Everything around him was blurred. His mind was a never-ending swirl of oppressive black, seeping into every pore and making reality distort out in front of him. His heart hung heavy in his chest, drooping with the weight of potential loss. Unable to support his own weight, Adrien slammed himself onto Marinette, silently begging her to save him from the encroaching gloom.

Wrapping an arm around Adrien's waist, Marinette used the last of her remaining strength to pull him toward the plane, snagging both of their bags with her free hand and hauling all of them into the cabin.

The greeting sight had Adrien clamoring over the seats to vomit in the trash can. His mother, small and frail laid strapped to a stretcher, oxygen mask secured to her face as their pilot sewed stitches into her gashed forearm. The silver dagger, with its mockingly ornate gold handle, still stood inside of Lavande, the edges of it blending with the damaged skin. The stench inside the cabin was a sickening mix of blood and vomit, encased in the deep natural smell of steel and fuel. It was overwhelming and made Adrien's stomach curl again as he sank to the floor, trash can grasped tightly to his chest as his stomach emptied. Hot tears burned his face, destroying the remaining portions of his vision and leaving him shrouded in his own fear.

Marinette swallowed down her own sickness and approached the pilot. Lavande, who had been menacing and the inevitable source of Marinette's future nightmares, looked barely a part of the living world. Her skin was sickly pale, the exposed part of her shoulder looked angry and irritated, red spindles growing over her skin where it had been penetrated by the dagger. The wound was unlike anything Marinette had ever seen and she shook her head hard, praying that it was all an illusion. When she opened her eyes, the angry spirals had spread, seeking to overtake the whole of Lavande's chest. Marinette felt her tongue grow heavy in her mouth, burdened with too many questions and not enough courage. "Are you…" she started, trying to determine a way to ask her question without offending the man.

"A doctor," he spoke with an accent that Marinette didn't recognize, "a surgeon to be exact, and a pilot only by hire." The hint of a joke played on the pilot's lips as he drew medication from a vile into a syringe. "Are you able to help me? I need to make sure she lies still." Lowering his hand, the pilot carelessly grazed his wrist against the remaining gold hoop in Lavande's ear, making him jump. A confused look marred the otherwise handsome face as he recoiled away from the earring.

"What is it?" Marinette instinctively touched the pilot's curved shoulder. His wrist burned red, a searing gash which flashed bright and then disappeared, seeming to absorb into his skin. She felt the tremor of fear ripple over her.

"Evil," the man scoffed, eyes crinkling as he examined his own arm. "It seems whatever you two went up against, and whatever Lavande got herself into, has the power to forge items from hate. Not a power any normal person would want, if you ask me."

Evil. A word that continued to circle around them. But evil was different than hate. Hate was an emotion, a feeling deep inside born of scorn and hurt. Evil was an abstract, an idea that someone or something could maliciously act without a care as to the result of the actions. Even in her youth and her exposure to the eerie existence of Xiao's temple, Marinette didn't believe in the concept of pure evil; a realization she made while standing in the stuffy cabin watching their pilot carefully care for Lavande's injuries.

"I need to inject her, pain meds and antibiotics to attempt to control whatever that thing is doing to her. Hold her arm." The grayish, wrinkled eyes peered up at Marinette, question building as she hesitated. "Unless you have a better idea?" He was studying her, and Marinette could feel the redness leaking over her cheeks.

This man, who Marinette had trusted to drop her and her partner off in the middle of nowhere, who she had trusted to remove Lavande's cooling body from her grasp, who she had unknowingly begun to depend on in the course of only a few days, was staring at her as if there were answers locked inside her tightening chest. He had to know more than he had let on. There had to be a reason Gabriel had chosen this pilot. A doctor made sense. A doctor who was a pilot made even more sense. But there was more to it and Marinette decided to let herself trust the _more_ without asking the questions to support it. Breathing deeply, she called for her transformation, hearing Tikki's exhausted shock as the tiny red swirl disappeared inside of Marinette's miraculous. Eyes closed, she swallowed again, noting the lack of shocked reaction from the man in front of her.

"Nice to meet you, Ladybug," he nodded with a solemn smile, "officially now, I suppose."

Ladybug smiled back at him, lifting her hand in his direction. "Nice to meet you, um…" in a moment of utter embarrassment, Ladybug realized she had never asked the pilot's name.

"Caine," he stated simply, "Caine Agreste."

A new layer of confusion rolled over the already present stacks in her mind. Glancing back at Adrien, Ladybug saw that he had passed out, the emotionalism of the day had finally seemed to overcome him. How had Adrien not recognized his own relative?

"He doesn't know me," Caine said, following Ladybug's gaze to the back of the plane. "A long story that I will tell you should you desire to hear it. First though… we need to attend to…"

An inhuman mash up of a gasp and a cry rang through the cabin. The spirals burned fire red across Lavande's chest as she lifted off of the stretcher, bucking against the straps. The oxygen masked slipped, allowing the grabbled screams to escape louder and startling Adrien into fearful awareness. The sight of his mother, thrashing around against the creaking metal and the stark white of the bed sheet slapped him back into the reality of the night, chasing away his fatigue and bringing him to stumbling feet. Blinking at Ladybug, whose hands were clamped on his mother's arms, he slowly processed her existence. "What? Are you…? Why?" He couldn't think. He couldn't form sentences around the terror that was rising within him.

"One arm," Caine commanded, nodding toward Ladybug who shifted her grasp to pin Lavande's left arm. Lifting a knee, Ladybug carefully placed it over Lavande's abdomen, a small attempt to hold the woman in place. It was a mistake to watch the needle dig into Lavande's arm and Marinette felt her head spin. As the body beneath her settled again, Lavande's eyes stayed opened, staring blankly at the ceiling with a silent scream formed on her lips.

"The redness," Adrien choked, a hesitant hand reaching out toward his mother before recoiling toward his own body. "What is it?" he couldn't look at his mom's face. Slamming his eyes shut, he dug his palms into his eyelids trying to press away the image that wouldn't fade. One of her eyes had cleared from the red rim, while the other still glared with an eye of Sauron-like fire. Her chest, arm and neck were marred with red burn patterns, simultaneously beautiful and terrifying like a forced tattoo.

"I think it is coming from the dagger," Ladybug chewed on her lip, training her focus on Adrien to avoid looking at Lavande's face. The total stillness under the oxygen mask was the face of a horror stricken mannequin and Marinette found the sight unbearable.

"Get it out of her then!" Adrien screamed, his will to remain calm breaking. He reached for the dagger, touching only the sharp point of the hilt only to recoil again, cradling his own marked hand. He watched wide-eyed as the redness disappeared into his palm, feeling a lingering sense of burning flames.

"Don't touch it," Marinette whispered, "or her other earring. I don't think either is safe."

"Cataclysm," Adrien said, more to himself than to anyone else around him. It had worked on the other earring, the hole in his mother's ear remained deformed but was no longer pinched into the bruising hold of the gold hoop. Her clear eye corresponded with the same free earlobe, giving Adrien an idea. Lifting his hand, he went to call for his transformation when a hand clapped onto his mouth. Narrowing a murderous glare at Plagg, Adrien hissed out between his teeth.

"I can't," Plagg looked defeated as his shoulders sagged. "Don't make me." The plea was so out of character, Adrien immediately softened to it, cradling Plagg to his chest in an unprecedented level of caring. Marinette usually did the cuddling with the kwamis, but Adrien was drawn in by Plagg's unasked request for comfort, tugging the sagging black body into his own.

"I don't know if it would be safe to cataclysm the dagger anyway," Ladybug crouched toward Lavande, careful to avoid being too close to her bound hands. She had already been surprised once by Lavande's attacks and Ladybug wasn't looking for anymore injuries.

She studied the dagger wound, again noting the fusion between the dagger and the pale skin. The wasted time had only melded the hard metal and soft skin into a tighter bind, making Ladybug regret her own lack of haste. Stepping back, she closed her eyes, inhaling deeply and concentrating on her next move. Focus on saving Lavande, on the safe removal of the dagger, overtook Marinette's mind, in the practiced way Master Fu had taught her before their fake fight with Hawkmoth. Voice low, she called for her lucky charm, bracing herself for whatever appeared.

A small bag dropped into Marinette's open palm. It was a deep velvet blue, tied with silver ties that shimmered in the silver of moonlight that was leaking through the nearest plane window. It wasn't heavy and the contents of it felt loose, like powder or small stones. Pulling the opening apart, Marinette reached a single finger inside. The golden dust clung to her suit and made her finger tingle with a pleasant sensation.

"What is…" Adrien didn't finish his question as Caine stood up and retrieved the pouch from Marinette.

"I don't know," Caine's brow was pulled tight across his expansive forehead. The peppered white in his dark brown locks caught the moonlight as he moved in a pacing motion. "Maybe…" without explanation, he withdrew a pinch of the dust and sprinkled it onto Lavande's chest.

Everywhere the dust landed, the redness evaporated with a hissing steam. Sprinkling more dust, all three of them watched as the steam continued to rise from Lavande's body, a blend of red and gold as it rose around them in the cabin. The smell was putrid, stinging their eyes and mouths as each curl of steam rose into the air to dissipate around them. Gold flecks covered Lavande's afflicted skin, and slowly her body began to relax until she was slumped, eyes sliding closed in the first sign of peace.

A speck touched the handle of the dagger, causing it to vibrate without further touch. In her slumber, Lavande whimpered, shifting away from her injured shoulder. Ladybug watched as the vibrations settled, her breath caught in her chest waiting to see how the dagger would react. When nothing else occurred, she glanced to Caine, waiting for an explanation.

"We are outside of my realm of knowledge," Caine sighed, handing the pouch back to Marinette. "I'm only guessing and I have been lucky up until now. I don't want to push that luck. The best we can do now is secure the impaled object and get her back to a proper hospital."

Adrien grunted, shaking his head with ferocity. "A hospital?! Are you kidding me? How are we supposed to explain any of this?!" His voice was high-pitched and marked with stressed, his hands flying out as Caine reached forward to place a cylindrical barrier around the hilt of the dagger. "What are you doing?! Get that out of her!"

Caine shot a stern look toward Adrien, and then nodded his head at Ladybug. Releasing her transformation, Marinette climbed over the plane seats to tuck her arms around Adrien's waist.

"Kid, I can't just rip this out of your mom." Caine spoke with patience as he taped down the foam, careful to avoid any direct skin-to-skin touches to Lavande's still irritated skin or the magical objects that were currently a part of her body. "I don't have x-ray vision, and as far as I know, you don't either. We can't tell what this thing has penetrated and therefore we don't know what we would be pulling apart if we yanked it out." Caine sat back, returning to his bag to pull another syringe. "Help will be there when we land, we are going further than the borders of Tibet this time and we will find the people that can help us." Drawing the syringe, Caine let a breath curl out of him. "You don't have to trust me, Adrien, but I don't want your mother to die." Pushing the needle back into Lavande's arm, Caine rose to his feet. "The stretcher is locked to the floor, brace it in case she wakes up. I have her sedated now, but there is no telling how strong the magic in her is." He turned on his heel, heading for the cock pit. "Sit down, it is going to be a long ride." His back disappeared as Adrien sank into Marinette's side, Plagg curled carefully in his arms.

Marinette lowered them both into the closest seat, taking Adrien's weight in her lap and accepting the knowledge that her legs would be asleep within minutes. When Adrien curled onto her shoulder, nuzzling into her for comfort, Marinette decided that the pins and needles would be worth it. Wrapping a hand around the edge of the stretcher, she prepared herself for the flight to destinations unknown.

* * *

Marinette didn't realize she had fallen asleep until the jostle of the plane woke her. Lifting her head, the stiffness in her neck made her groan. Her legs were pinned to her seat, sweaty and screaming with Adrien's body still splayed out over top of her own. At some point, he had shifted to rest some of his weight on the seat, their thighs pressed together over the small stiff cushion.

Lowering her arm from the stretcher, Marinette examined the lines on her wrist, pressed marks from where she had wound her arm into the metal beam. Flexing her fingers, she felt the burn in her muscles, a reminder that she still had not one, but two, lucky charms tucked into her bag. The bruises marked her skin, the cuts a reminder of each blow she had exchanged with Lavande. It was impossible to deny the details of what they had been through, no matter how much Marinette tried to push it out of her mind.

The body pressed against her own stirred as the cockpit door opened, while Lavande remained silent, breathing lightly into the oxygen mask. Marinette watched as Caine moved through the cabin, folding seats and lifting their bags to place them near the exit. In the breaking daylight, he looked older than Marinette had previously observed, the wrinkles deeper in his forehead and the crinkles around his eyes conveying years of successful laughter. If he was related to Gabriel Agreste, it had to be a distant relation, the natural warmth of Caine a stark contrast to the blatant coldness of Gabriel. When the tired gray eyes met Marinette's blue ones, she smiled at him, relieved when he returned it with a smile of his own. "Where are we?" she croaked, startled by the dryness of her own voice.

"Moscow," Caine said, peering out of the window. "More specifically, we are at my home. Help will meet us here, momentarily it seems." He turned away from the window, reaching for the hatch of the loading platform to push it open. No sooner had it hit the ground when footsteps came thundering up the angled entrance. Marinette shook Adrien's shoulder violently as Gabriel and Master Fu appeared inside the small plane.

Her heart broke when Gabriel fell toward his wife. Marinette knew the facial expression well, it was one that she had seen on Cat Noir's face every time he thought she had been hurt. It was love, concern, and the desire to protect all rolled into one. All of her ill thoughts of Gabriel Agreste disappeared in a cloud of regret as she watched the coldest man she had ever known, fold over the limp body of his wife shedding body-wrenching tears.

Adrien woke to the sound of his father's cries, a sound that he swore he would only recognize from behind a heavy locked door. His father's tears spurred his own, bringing Adrien to unsteady feet as he stumbled toward his father. "Dad…" was the only word he could muster, falling forward into his father's open arms as they fell into a heap on the cabin floor.

"She's alive," Caine was speaking to Master Fu who stood emotionless with his hands clasped behind his back. Marinette studied Master Fu's face, desperate to find hidden answers behind the masked reservation. The urge to scream at him banged against the back of her clenched teeth. She wanted to hug him, wanted the comfort of someone, but she also wanted to hit him. She wanted to throw him from the plane and beat the answers from his ancient body. Instead, she sat silently, gathering Tikki and Plagg into her lap and using their tiny bodies to steady her shaking arms.

"You did it," Gabriel whispered into his son's hair, the tears matting Adrien's blond locks as he curled around his father's waist. Touch hadn't felt comfortable between them since Adrien was a small child, but all of the hesitation was gone now, as Adrien pressed into his father's chest.

"She… there is… I couldn't stop it…" Adrien was tumbling over his words. He didn't want his father to have false hope. His mother had spent the better portion of the night with an enchanted object shoved through her body, thumped over the hard ground on horseback and then jolted on a stretcher for the entire plane ride. The remaining hope that Adrien clung to was becoming thin, and he didn't want his father to live through the level of heartbreak he had suffered over the past twelve hours. The ghosts of the memories from Xiao's temple were still dancing in Adrien's mind and he couldn't shake the dark tint covering the world.

"Marinette, Adrien." It was Master Fu who spoke, a chilling calm rolling through the cabin. "Gather your things, Gabriel will show you to your rooms. Rest and let us take it from here."

Adrien untangled from his father, rising to stand in front of Master Fu. "What are you going to do?" There was challenge in his eyes, the dare clinging to the front of his mind. Master Fu had kept enough from him, he didn't need any more lies or excuses. He felt Marinette's hand wrap around his elbow and resisted the urge to shake her off. Adrien didn't want to be calm. He wanted to fight, force all of the unsaid answers out of Fu until there was nothing left.

"We are going to get your mother inside and deal with the magical part of this, then we will seek further medical treatment for her as needed." Master Fu extended a hand toward the exit of the plane, silently dismissing them. As Adrien huffed his disapproval, snagging his bag from the ground, a sound behind him made him pause. Peering over his shoulder, he saw Master Fu lean over the slacked body of his mother. "How did you dispose of the other earring?"

The question was asked without eye contact and Adrien glanced to Marinette who nodded her reassurance. "My cataclysm," Adrien spoke without hesitation, his statement daring Master Fu to reprimand him. Before he had succumb to unconsciousness, he had decided that Master Fu knew more about Xiao's temple than he had shared and the bitterness of that belief still hung over him.

Eyes widened, Master Fu turned to study Adrien, flicking down to exchange silent words with Plagg. "Before you go…" Master Fu trailed off, looking over his shoulder to Lavande, "I would like you to take care of the second one. It should make her healing process much more successful."

There was a lie in Master Fu's statement, although Adrien couldn't pinpoint exactly which part he didn't believe. "It's ok," Plagg whispered from Marinette's arms, "I can handle it now." Without waiting for the call, Plagg disappeared into Adrien's ring leaving Cat Noir standing in his place.

Stepping forward, Cat Noir could feel the darkness still tainting his transformation. He wanted to ask Fu what was happening to him, but he wasn't ready to trust his master quite yet. Trust was earned, and Master Fu had destroyed almost all of the remaining trust Cat Noir possessed. Bracing himself for what could come, Cat Noir breathed the call for his cataclysm. As the black shimmer overtook his hand, he deliberately skimmed only his fingertips across the oversized gold hoop. The pain rang through his hand immediately, knocking hard into his chest and bringing him flat into his father's arms. It choked him, seizing his throat as the darkness fell over his eyes.

Marinette moved quickly, recognizing the hazy withdraw of Cat Noir's senses as he fell. Pulling the cat toy from her pocket, she waved it directly under Cat Noir's nose, watching his eyes flutter open, wild with pursuit of the cat nip contained inside. It was funnier now that they weren't in the temple, but relief was still her prominent emotion as she watched the jade green lift back into Cat Noir's eyes. If she never had to see the conversion of black to green in her love's eyes again, she would thank every star in the sky.

Master Fu watched as Marinette gathered Cat Noir into her arms, the expression on his face unreadable as Cat Noir peered over Marinette's shoulder. He sagged onto his girlfriend, finally releasing his transformation and feeling the relief of separating from Plagg. There was a difference to their partnership now, and Adrien was not prepared to analyze it at that moment. "Did it work?" It hurt to speak, his throat dry with dehydration and exhaustion.

The stiff nod of Master Fu's head was as reassuring as it was frustrating. "Yes, the hoop is gone now, which should break Xiao's direct hold over your mother. Go rest now, leave the rest to us." Master Fu turned away from them, another silent physical sign of their dismissal.

Stepping back, Marinette transferred Adrien's weight into his father's arms and accepted the packs onto her own shoulders. Waiting until the Agreste men had made it onto the grassy ground beneath the plane, Marinette removed the velvet bag from her pocket. Placing it on a small open spot on the stretcher, Marinette calmly said, "you might need this," before twisting on her heel and running from the plane, bags banging against her hips and kwamis cradled in her arms.

Caine stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Master Fu at the threshold of the plane watching the other three trudge toward the house. The tiny bag bounced in Master Fu's hand as he hummed low under his breath. "Those two…" Caine trailed off, seemingly unable to find the words to express his sentiments.

"Are the most powerful miraculous holders I have ever trained," Fu stated, worry clouding the pride in his eyes. "And in the most danger."

Caine made a confirming noise, unhooking the stretcher from its security holds and pushing it out of the plane to follow Master Fu toward the house.

* * *

The room was a dusty pink, designed with flowers painted on every wall and a tall four posted bed pressed back against one wall. Large double doors led to a spacious balcony, the sheer blush curtains blowing in the breeze as they floated in and out of the doorway. The carpet was plush under her feet, a faded beige that took on the rosy tint of the room. It was cheerful and bright, and the exact opposite of everything Marinette felt.

A shower had mildly relieved the ache in her body and had washed days of grim from her skin, replacing it with the scent of flowers and raspberries. The soft nightgown that had been placed on the bed was an unexpected courtesy causing Marinette to wonder if Moscow had always been the backup plan in their journey. Advil and a bottle of water had been waiting on a tray table, along with a sandwich and a lush looking apple. Every detail made Marinette's brain ache with a desire to know who prepared for their arrival, what caring being had decided to provide for every need without being asked. It was something her own mother would have done, and it made Marinette's heart throb with a need to see her mother's face.

A light knock at her door had Marinette lifting her sleepy head. Adrien slipped into her room, dressed in blue sleeper pants and a matching blue t-shirt. It seemed that whoever had prepared for their arrival had done so with simple instructions of a boy and a girl with basic sizes. Marinette stared down at her own pink nightgown, chuckling at the basic color associated with being a female.

"What's funny?" Adrien paused, running a self-conscious hand through his hair. He had barely kept himself awake during his shower, the burning water scalding his skin and relaxing his muscles into the pull of slumber. He had shoved his sandwich down in three bites and taken all of the pills left out for him. A powerful need to sleep and forget was clouding his every decision. Except the one that drove him to Marinette's room. That decision was all his own, and one that he made without hesitation.

Scooting back on the bed, Marinette patted the space next to herself, chuckling again when Adrien launched himself into it. His movements were far spryer than her own, her body feeling full of painful lead every time she moved. "Nothing is funny, I just noticed the blue and the pink," she waved a hand down her body, blushing when Adrien's eyes followed the trail.

"Yeah, if they had known us at all, it would have been red and green," Adrien laid back against the plush pillows, tugging Marinette onto his chest. Every part of him melted into her touch, letting the relief of her presence bring him the peace he craved.

"Regular Christmas elves we are," Marinette joked through her own yawn. His chest was warm and firm under her cheek, immediately pulling Marinette toward comfortable sleep. Her breathing slowed, body dropping over Adrien's, with her arm draped over his middle.

Snuggling his arms around Marinette's already snoozing form, Adrien glanced once at their kwamis, asleep together on a nearby pillow. Sleep overtook him as he rubbed his nose into Marinette's hair, planting a last kiss on her part before following her into dreamland.

* * *

 _Bodies piled all around her, her friends and family, limp in form, eyes open, mouths pulled in various forms of screams. She stood in the middle, spinning in panic, looking for an escape while screaming for her partner. Across the room, Cat Noir's struggling body was being dragged, flanked on either side by copycats of his same form. Screaming, Ladybug leapt over the stiffening bodies of her loved ones, racing toward her love. A familiar form blocked her way. A man she trusted, a man that had given her the gift of the miraculous. When she tried to move around him, Master Fu's small hand shoved her backwards, a godlike strength which sent Marinette flying into a column of hard stone._

She sat up in the bed, scrambling forward and almost falling off the edge. Breathing through her panic, her eyes adjusted to the sickeningly feminine room, her mind slowly reminding her that she was safe and far away from the nightmarish images that had invaded her mind. Shifting backwards, Marinette leaned over Adrien's sleeping face. He was sprawled on his stomach, arms spread to his sides, small noises escaping from his nose as he slept peacefully. Marinette decided she would accept all of the nightmares between them, if it meant that Adrien could always sleep so soundly. Kissing his temple, Marinette pushed from the bed, seeking the relief of movement. Drawn to the outside beyond the flowing curtains, Marinette padded barefoot onto the balcony.

There was a light mist in the air and the night sky was heavy with humidity. The moisture settled against Marinette's skin making her feel sticky but not altogether uncomfortable. Russia's heat was different than Paris' summer and Marinette found herself homesick for the cool of her own room and the simmer of her sun-soaked balcony.

Her body hurt. It hurt in ways she had never imagined it could, and felt weighted down with fatigue. Her head was screeching with the need for sleep, but her heart was still racing with the images of her nightmare. Every time she closed her eyes, the scenes replayed, making her feel dizzy as she leaned onto the edge of the railing.

Voices below caught her ear and for a moment she wished that she had Cat Noir's immaculate hearing. Squinting, she saw the slim shoulders of Gabriel Agreste slumping forward with the hands of Caine Agreste bracing against them. It seemed that Gabriel still had tears to shed, making Marinette's heart squeeze painfully in her chest. Vaguely she remembered wanting Gabriel to show emotion, and a small part of her regretted that wish. She watched with keen eyes as the two men interacted below her. Pressing further over the balcony's edge, Marinette strained to hear the words being spoken.

"Fu will figure it out," Caine was speaking, bending his head to look at Gabriel's face, "he always does. Look at Doe."

Marinette's face scrunched in confusion wondering if Doe was a nickname for someone she should know. Shaking her head, Marinette concentrated on Gabriel's response.

"She isn't right though," Gabriel wiped a miserable hand over his face, "her eyes are still off, so how can we know he succeeded? Lavande…" Gabriel's sobs interrupted his thought, and Marinette felt her own tears begin to sting her eyes, "I'm not leaving without her. Caine, she is coming with me, no matter what." Marinette saw Caine wrap Gabriel toward him, a hug that could only be successful between someone who Gabriel was completely comfortable with. Caine had said he would tell Marinette his story, and now she had a powerful desire to hear it.

No other words were spoken, as Caine led Gabriel back through a set of doors on the bottom floor of the house, the small click confirming they were shut. Sinking back, the spider webs in Marinette's head spun with new thoughts. Were they talking about Lavande the whole time or was there someone else? How did Caine know that Master Fu could fix Lavande? He sounded so sure, but Marinette had seen the hesitation in Gabriel's eyes, even from her elevated distance. Again, more questions, no answers, and a sinking boulder settling back into the pit of Marinette's stomach. Dropping her head into her hands, she groaned into her own palms. In the morning, she would find a place to sit with Adrien and try to piece everything together. If the adults in their life were unwilling to provide clarification, they would have to sort it all out for themselves. Her absolute faith in their partnership was the only settling thought in her mind. Sighing, Marinette lifted her chin to the moon, closing her eyes and trying to calm the sick cycle carousel that was spinning in her mind.

* * *

The world was dark when Adrien felt the lack of warmth on his body dragging him from sleep. Sitting up, he felt disoriented, taking a moment to remember where he was. The overall pinkness of the room had him scowling in confusion as his brain clicked backed through the steps that led him to the plush bed. Chest aching with the flood of memories, Adrien searched the room for any sign of Marinette. His heart stopped, spying her leaning against the balcony railing, her slim body highlighted by pale moonlight, the hem of her nightgown dancing across the back of her calves. Her hair hung loose over her shoulders, flipping in the breeze as she appeared lost in thought. She was beautiful to him, every second of every day, but never as much as she was in that exact moment. His girlfriend, his best friend, his partner. His hero.

Easing out of bed, Adrien moved silently over the cushy carpet, slipping through the open doors. Plagg and Tikki were still buried in a deep pillow, curled together tightly under a cloud-like white blanket. Subconsciously, Adrien recognized the healing pillow that Nooroo had spent most of his time tucked into, but the thought couldn't penetrate his conscious desire to be near Marinette. Coming up behind her, Adrien slipped his arms around her stomach, burying his head between her shoulder blades.

"Hey," she whispered, rubbing her hand over his forearms on her abdomen. "Why are you awake?" She twisted in his arms, resting back against the stone railing and gathering him close to her. Her dreams had been haunted with images of Cat Noir with black eyes, withering in pain on the temple floor as he was dragged away from her, and all she wanted to do was stare at the vivid green of Adrien's eyes and reassure herself that he was okay.

"Cold without you," he muttered, rubbing his nose against her neck, "I sleep better when you are in my arms." Sleep made his tongue loose, and he was admitting things he shouldn't, but Adrien didn't care. They could have easily died, but because of Marinette's strength they had made it halfway home already. He had been awe stuck from the moment he first laid eyes on Ladybug, and that feeling had only grown when he had discovered she was Marinette. Now, she was the woman that helped him bring his mother home and had kept him safe when the darkness had threatened to overtake him. Marinette was the strongest person he knew, and Adrien couldn't stop himself from wanting to be tangled into her completely.

Kissing the top of Adrien's head, Marinette wrapped her arms tighter around his shoulders. He had gone from her untouchable crush, to her partner in crime-fighting, to her best friend, to her boyfriend. And now, it felt like Adrien was something completely different. What they had survived together, because of the strength they brought out in one another, gave new meaning to all of the feelings between them. She loved him, that was never questionable even with all his bad puns and silly insecurities, but during her contemplation on the balcony, she had decided it was so much more than love. They were soulmates, destined to be intertwined for the rest of their lives, and no one could convince Marinette otherwise. It wasn't a school girl's fantasies that led her to the conclusion either, but instead a compilation of all the things they did better because they had each other. Their partnership made them stronger, in and out of costume, and Marinette would fight with Adrien until the end of their days, trusting their bond above all else.

Lifting his head, Adrien noted the tears stinging at the edges of Marinette's eyes. Brushing a finger over her cheek, he kissed her, sweet and full of loving comfort. "Tears?" he felt his own burning the back of his throat, a sign that the emotions chasing him were finally going to break.

"I have been standing out here, thinking about how lucky I am to have you and then you appear, as if you read my mind." Marinette let herself be pulled closer to Adrien's chest as she cupped his chin. She omitted her nightmares, left out the part about eavesdropping on the other Agrestes, opting only to share the more positive thoughts. "I'm worried about you. Tomorrow, we'll talk about what happened at the temple, but for tonight, I want you to hear me say that I love you and I am here for you. No matter what." She kissed him then, a gentle press of lips that turned deeper as Adrien pressed back against her.

He would never get tired of hearing Marinette tell him that she loved him. It was easily his favorite set of words he had ever heard anyone say. He wanted to kiss her until she understood, without a doubt, that he loved her with every ounce of his being. He wanted to protect her, cherish her, and somehow convey how grateful he was to her. Without her, his mother wouldn't have made it this far. Without her, he wouldn't have a chance to regain his relationship with his father. Without her, the world was duller and without hope. She was his lucky charm and he let himself fall into her kisses, with that thought ringing in his mind.

"Come on, kitty," Marinette said, breaking the kiss and stepping away from him. Her cheeks were flushed and her body was tingling, as sleep once again pursued her overworked brain. "Let's go back to bed, we can talk in the morning."

Hands swinging between them, they crawled back under the covers, meeting in the middle and holding each other until sleep pulled them gently under.

* * *

Sun shone hot and bright over the gardens which surrounded the front of Caine's house, mocking the haunting darkness which still clung to every part of Adrien. He had woken with the strings of hope threading through his heart, Marinette wrapped into his arms, reminding him of his sole source of safety and love. But as the day had progressed, as they had separated to dress and reconvened to eat an extravagantly prepared breakfast, the gloom had begun circling him again, closing in no matter how hard he tried to shove beyond it. Now they sat on a warm stone bench, both pausing in their wildly spinning theories to drink from tall glasses of water.

Their kwamis had disappeared with Master Fu as soon as breakfast was completed, neither of them speaking to Marinette or Adrien when they had attempted to call them back. Gabriel had also slipped away from the table in silence, his only acknowledgement of their presence being the quick squeeze and fleeting kiss pressed into Adrien's temple. His father had looked pale, purple circles bruising the skin under his eyes, which were red-rimmed and stressed. He had looked like a man that hadn't sleep in days, and Adrien briefly thought that maybe he hadn't. Sympathy had trickled through him, temporarily lifting the hazy veil in his mind and letting him briefly connect with the world. He had reached for Marinette's hand, lacing their fingers together in attempt to cling to the feeling.

Caine had remained behind, sitting at the opposite end of the table, chewing his toast and sipping his coffee. Marinette knew without looking that he was watching them and wondered what he could possibly be thinking. This was the man that was charged with dropping two teenagers off in the middle of nowhere, and then retrieving them, sweaty, bloody and carrying a half-dead woman. If Caine had met them in Paris, in or out of their superhero identities, he would have thought that they were immature children. But Caine had only seen them in this capacity, two young lovers desperately seeking answers. It was an image that wasn't completely wrong and Marinette felt the absurdity of it knocking against her sensibility.

"So," Adrien stated, not looking up from his fourth helping of eggs, "are you going to tell me why we have the same last name?" He had heard one of the servers address Caine as Mr. Agreste and had immediately raised his eyebrows into his overflowing plate. Marinette had squeezed his knee and whispered the mysterious pilot's full name into his ear and questions had been building since that moment. Finally lifting his gaze, Adrien had met the unruffled consideration of Caine's look from across the table.

"Because I'm your uncle," Caine said. It had been calm, but not lacking in emotion the way Gabriel was calm. Caine's calm seemed to be tainted with sadness and Adrien hadn't had the strength to push the questions further. All of his fight had been drained from his body, the overwhelming distance between himself and the rest of the world collapsing back over him as Adrien looked away from the sad gray eyes.

It was Caine's eyes that were still on Adrien's mind as he sat with Marinette in the eclectic garden. They were the same color as his father's, but where Gabriel's eyes tended to be shrouded in judgment and superiority, Caine's eyes radiated warmth and welcoming reassurance with a hint of laughter dancing in his irises. There was something familiar about them that made Adrien's heart ache, and he let his shoulders slump forward with his inability to remember. Every part of him felt heavy, keeping him from organizing his thoughts and leaving him frustrated.

Marinette watched as Adrien's moods cycled again. Adrien had looked at peace when they had woken to each other, with the sunlight dancing into the room, and their legs tangled under the covers. They had kissed, slow and sweet, snuggling close as the day broke around them. His face had looked less troubled in those first moments of morning and Marinette had been hopeful that somehow he had overcome the lasting effects from their time in Tibet.

As they met in the hallway between their rooms, Marinette had seen the change. Adrien's shoulders sagged, he was slower to react to her touch, and his eyes had dulled again, losing their playful glint in favor of a clouded haze. His demeanor had continued to fade throughout breakfast, the only bright spot occurring when his father had briefly made physical contact with Adrien. Marinette had tried to help keep the light in Adrien's eyes, eating breakfast one-handed so she could hold his, but it had disappeared before the breakfast dishes had been cleared. She had wanted to ask Master Fu if he could help Adrien, but he had disappeared without saying a word to either of them. Like Gabriel, Master Fu looked drained of color and wilting with the weight of a sleepless night. The sickness had returned to Marinette's stomach and she had dragged Adrien toward the privacy of the garden in hopes of some refuge from the intensity of the house.

It had been an hour since they had situated themselves on the stone bench. They had spun theory after theory regarding the power of Lavande's gold hoop earrings, Adrien coming to the conclusion that Master Fu should have studied the jewelry before having Adrien destroy it. His frustration had come out in angry huffs, accentuated by punches to the nearest tree.

Irritation with Master Fu was a shared emotion and they had devolved into unfaltering insults and raging rants for several minutes about their teacher. Adrien had impersonated Master Fu's emotionless posture, while Marinette had described his collection of Hawaiian shirts with the air of a high fashion designer critiquing Barbie clothes. They showed every ounce of their years of immaturity, but it had left them in desperate giggles, completely dissolving the tension which had been relentlessly chasing them.

It had felt good to laugh, Marinette's stomach aching with the sensation that felt so foreign. Adrien's laugh had been music to her ears, the green of his eyes shining bright as they continued their ridiculous venting. It wasn't nice to mock Master Fu the way they were, but it was cathartic and Marinette was not going to deny herself the relief.

As the conversation turned serious again, Marinette brought up the topic of the gold dust, snickering when Adrien called it fairy dust. They skirted around the issue of how the dust had lifted the angry markings from Lavande's skin, neither of them desiring to recall the image of the red marks or the revolting smell emitted by the combination of the two. They had begun to divulge into exactly how Marinette had conjured the small seemingly magical bag when a throat cleared behind them.

Standing in the middle of the garden, Master Fu watched over his pupils. Marinette swallowed, gripping Adrien's hand in preparation for bad news. She had long ago given up trying to interrupt Master Fu's facial expressions, knowing now more than ever that he was a master of hiding his feelings. The squeeze of her fingers told her that Adrien was also apprehensive of Master Fu's sudden appearance.

"Come with me," Master Fu turned on his heel and marched through the garden, leaving Marinette and Adrien staring after him. Even after all of their joint doubts, they still rose and obeyed the command, moving out of respect and obligation more than desire.

The corridor on the left of the house wound across the length of it, windows lining the entire outside wall. Silently, they followed Master Fu, looking at their feet and individually preparing for whatever was coming. Adrien begged his body to settle, breathing in hitching breaths as they reached a single wooden door. Master Fu glanced over his shoulder and then shoved the door open.

Glass windows stood from floor to ceiling on one side of the room, facing the expansive green yard that had acted as their landing pad only hours prior. Light streamed in from them, heating the room and bathing them in the warm early afternoon light. The room was devoid of furniture or decoration, the bare wood floor looking freshly polished and reflecting the colors of the prism. In the corner, laid in a small bed that looked similar to the one they had slept in the night before, a single figure laid out under the covers. Adrien felt the illness creep up his throat as the frail body of his mother registered in his mind.

Lavande Agreste looked like she was dying, her pale skin blending into the soft white of her bedsheets. The strength of her body had disappeared, leaving a willowy woman in its place. Her face was sunken, and her limbs were thinner than Marinette remembered. The hilt of the dagger had disappeared from the delicate shoulder and Marinette felt her stomach flip over as she noted the tiny inconspicuous dresser on which the silver and gold weapon reflected the light. It was resting on a pure white cloth, intimidating and beautiful in its apparent sharpness.

"Mom…" Adrien dropped Marinette's hand and moved instinctively toward the bed. A strong hand wrapped over his bicep to pull him back. Looking up, Adrien found the same caring gray eyes from breakfast studying him.

"I wouldn't," Caine said. It wasn't a command or a demand, so Adrien listened.

"We removed the blade," it was Master Fu who spoke now, and Adrien finally realized that Nooroo, Tikki and Plagg were floating near the balding head. "It gave way easier than it should have, the wound closing as soon as it was pulled free." Master Fu looked away from Marinette's and Adrien's curiosity. "I used what remained of the healing powder to attempt to treat the wound. As you can see, Lavande is alive."

"You call that alive?!" Adrien burst. The dam broke within him, releasing every angry thought that had piled up behind it. "She is wasting away. We rescued her, and now you are killing her! For all we know," Adrien waved a hand wildly, knocking Caine's hand off of his bicep, "you want her dead. Stop messing around, Fu, and tell us what the hell is going on!" Rushing forward, Adrien felt himself caught around the waist. Prepared to fight, he froze when Marinette's voice lifted from behind him. He had assumed that his father or uncle had stopped him, surprise making him go limp as he realized that Marinette was the one currently lifting him off of his feet.

"Master Fu," her voice was stern as she held Adrien to her body, "we are going to need more answers than you have given us." She felt Adrien relax and experimentally placed him back on the ground. "For now, we need to know what we can do to help. Adrien is right, we didn't risk life and limb to save his mom only for her to die here. So what do we do?" It was Marinette standing in the room, but if Adrien hadn't known better, he would have thought it was Ladybug. Even as one in the same, it still caught Adrien off-guard when their personas blurred together.

"I don't know," Master Fu sighed, leaning back on the wall, each of the kwamis coming to comfort him. He looked defeated and small and Marinette immediately felt her concern for him overwhelming her anger. She believed him. For the first time in a long time, Marinette trusted Master Fu's words without the hidden level of distrust. Breaking away from Adrien, Marinette moved toward the bed, leaning down to examine Lavande's sleeping face. "We believe she has slipped into a coma," Master Fu was whispering, but his voice carried in the small room. At the window, Gabriel's shoulders hitched, the words seeming to affect him physically. "I don't know what is causing her to fade away like this and therefore, I am helpless to stop it."

Behind Marinette the choked tears of all three Agreste men rang off of the glass panes. The pain of loss was upon them all again, and Marinette fought against it, using the part of her brain that was always Ladybug to brainstorm solutions. She didn't have a lucky charm this time, but as the memory of a childhood story book struck her, Marinette was convinced she wouldn't need one. "Sleeping beauty," Marinette whispered, only the sound of air passing through her lips audible in the vast room.

"What was that?" Gabriel had been the first to react, shoving up from the window to approach Marinette.

"Um, well…" Marinette wrung her hands, not doubting her instincts but suddenly embarrassed about her reasoning regarding the same. "When we fought Dark Cupid, Cat Noir was possessed and he…" she looked to see if Adrien was going to help her with the details, finding his face confused and expectant. Glancing back over her shoulder, Marinette looked at Lavande's translucent pallor, foregoing her own embarrassment in hopes of saving Adrien's mom. "Cat Noir was ranting that hate conquers all, but that isn't true. Love. Love conquers all. And when I kissed him, it broke the possession. I was thinking that, maybe…" she trailed off, peering at Gabriel with wide eyes hoping he understood without further explanation.

"A kiss?" Caine scoffed, his furrowed brows and disapproving frown looking around for an ally in his dissatisfaction with the answer. Not finding agreement in the other faces, he shook his head and moved away to lean against the furthest window.

Gabriel approached the bed, his movements slow while his breath became unsteady. He was taking a chance making physical contact with Lavande, but so had Ladybug when she had kissed Cat Noir under Dark Cupid's spell. True love made a person stronger, and Marinette reminded herself of this as she wrapped her arms around Adrien waiting to see what would happen.

"We are talking about the Dark Cupid thing later," Adrien whispered against the side of her head, a comical distraction from the intensity of the scene in front of them. Marinette felt Adrien's breath suck hard into his chest as Gabriel leaned over to press a kiss to Lavande's lips.

Olive green eyes fluttered open under pale eyelashes as a single word uttered from the slim lips.

 _"Gabriel."_

* * *

 **For those of you who reached the end and want to scream at me for the cheesiness of the kiss trope remember this:**

 **True Love's kiss is CANON. This was used in Dark Cupid and is continued here in theme. As much as this fic is dark and a deviation from canon, it also has canon elements (including the strong elements of love and friendship and TEAMWORK). I know it might be cheesy, but remember... just because she is awake, doesn't mean Lavande is magically cured. That's all I will say about it for now.**


	21. Chapter 21

***whispers* It's baaaccckkkkk...**

 **After a longer than expected hiatus, Better Together is back. I started by rewriting a significant portion of Chapter 19 (the entire Paris portion at the beginning of the chapter has been reworked and I urge you to go back and read it. I am proud of the changes I made and I believe they will help with a better understanding of the story as a whole).**

 **And now, here is Chapter 21. I will warn you, there are some graphic descriptions in this chapter. If you would like to avoid those, please skip the paragraph starting with "His stomach churned" and ending with "catacylsm." There is another OC introduced here. I hope you will all welcome her to the story as we move forward.**

 **A huge thank you to seththeshallow who has never stopped believing in this story and encouraging me to push forward. Without you, I don't know that anyone would have gotten to see any of the world I built, and I am grateful for you every day.**

 **If you are reading this and you are enjoying it or you want to talk about Miraculous Ladybug in any way, please come find on on Tumblr: n3rdlif343va or Twitter: nerdlife4eva**

 **Thank you to everyone for their patience! I hope this was worth the wait.**

* * *

Everyone in the room took a collective breath, focus directed toward the bed as Gabriel collapsed forward. Adrien wanted to rush into the middle of the embrace, wanted to be a part of his family and clutch the mother who he had gone without for so long, but his feet were frozen. Even with as much as his heart yearned to feel his mother's arms around him, his mind was screaming at him to wait. The sickening mix of hesitation and elation sloshed in his stomach.

Marinette couldn't watch the scene in the corner of the room. It felt private and being a witness to it made her feel like a voyeur invading in a moment that wasn't hers. Eyes averted, she noted that she apparently wasn't alone in her awkwardness. Caine's face was cast downward, hands clutching his opposite elbows, thick eyebrows pulled together in contemplation. Marinette noticed his sullen posture, the slump of his body against the window was subtle but present making her wonder exactly what was going through his mind. To her right, a mixture of tears and whispers floated from the bed. She wanted to leave, but felt obligated to stay.

"Children," Master Fu spoke stepping toward them, urging the kwamis from his side and into the arms of their human partners. "Why don't you take some time to yourselves? When Lavande is up to speaking with you, I will call for you."

There were times that Master Fu's dismissal felt like a punishment, leaving Adrien with a dissatisfied chip on his shoulder. This time, the dismissal was a welcome to excuse to escape. Turning on his heel, clutching Plagg tightly to his chest, Adrien wrapped his fingers around Marinette's wrist before racing from the room.

He wanted to run. There was still a hanging darkness dancing on the edge of every thought and Adrien felt it tainting his view of the world. A few days ago, he would have been nothing but overjoyed to hear his mother's voice again. Now though, he felt terrified. The terror was shaking through him, scrambling every thought and fueling his feet to hurry them into the hallway.

"Hey!"

It wasn't the calm, relaxed manner of speaking that Marinette had come to associate with Caine. He wasn't looking for their attention, he was commanding them to stop. Pulling free of Adrien's grip, Marinette slowly turned, wincing as Caine invaded their personal space.

"I want to talk you."

The scowl was on Caine's face and laced through his words. Adrien stared at the man who shared his last name, waiting with irritation prickling his skin. He wanted to be away. He wanted to hide away with Marinette and their kwamis and pretend their world was normal. Instead he stood, frozen again with the shackles of respectful obligation.

"Not here," Caine nodded his head back toward the closed down, pushing passed them as he stomped down the hall. His shoulders were curled forward, eyes trained on the ground. Caine's posture was no longer easy-going and conveyed a level of stress that neither teenager could understand.

On the left wall of the hallway stood another wooden door. Marinette knew they must have passed it when they walked toward Lavande's room from the garden, even though she couldn't recall its existence. Eyes wide, she followed Caine through the doorway, feeling Tikki's tiny body shiver against her chest. Tikki shook her head, silently asking Marinette to wait for an explanation. Strings of confusion and worry created the suspenseful song of apprehension that crescendoed around them.

The wooden stairs creaked under their feet as they ascended the spiral staircase. Unlike the rest of the house which was full of natural light from oversized windows, the staircase was lit by hanging lanterns. The walls were a deep burgundy color, smooth to the touch and ice cold. They seemed to be climbing directly up the middle of the house, the lack of windows making Adrien feel the unrelenting pressure of claustrophobia. A tiny push broke through the pressing intimidation, and Adrien spied through hazy eyes Plagg's tiny hand resting over his heart.

The green eyes of his kwami were darker than Adrien remembered, much in the same way his had changed colors over the course of their struggles in Tibet. Wherever Caine was taking them, Adrien knew as soon as they were released, he would be carrying Plagg away for a long overdue discussion.

Marinette was desperately trying to orient herself as they reached the top of the staircase and pushed through another heavy wooden door. The room in which they stood was cylindrical in nature, with windows alternating across the walls, dark wood planks creating the repetitive pattern of bright light and dark oak. To the right there was another door and Marinette found herself wondering if another similar staircase was hidden behind it.

The furnishings were simple. A small bed with a woven quilt of seemingly random fabric squares stood to one side, while two dressers of cherry oak stood to the other. In the middle there was a single rug, colors wrapped together in a tight braid. The color scheme of the quilt and the rug matched, causing a tug of familiarity in the back of Marinette's mind. She was desperately trying to tie all her thoughts together when Adrien made a strangled noise next to her.

Framed by the window panes, highlighted by the lowering sun was a long blond ponytail, remarkably similar to one that they had left behind in Paris. The figure attached to it was slight in build, with unremarkable curves. "Chloe?" Adrien asked, feeling the uncertainty in the question. Rationally, there was no way that Chloe could be standing in the tower-like room in the middle of Russia. But the woman standing with her rail straight spine facing them, couldn't be anyone but Chloe.

Caine crossed the room, laying a gentle hand over the slight shoulder. Marinette couldn't ignore the delicate way Caine was touching the woman, almost as if he was scared to break her. When a sigh escaped the still unidentified person, Marinette felt a sense of relief circle through her body. She had made that same sound before, every single time Adrien touched her, no matter what form he was in. It was the sound of love and comfort, and suddenly Marinette thought she understood Caine's contemplative looks in Lavande's room.

Soft words were exchanged that Adrien strained to hear, wishing he was transformed so he could borrow Plagg's ears for the moment. Needing his own reassurance, still reeling from the confusion of the identity of the other person in the room, Adrien laced his fingers through Marinette's, squeezing as a silent plea not to let him go. He squeezed harder as the blond ponytail turned away from them, replacing it was a set of ice blue eyes.

Unlike Chloe's, this set of eyes was circled with a dull red rim, darker on the right iris than on the left. The woman's face was softer than Chloe's but wrinkled in lines of stress instead of laughter. Despite the oppressive heat, she wore long sleeves pulled over the back of her hands and long pants which hung loosely to her ankles. She was unbelievably thin, and Adrien found himself shaking his head at the image, knowing that a healthier, happier one should be in its place.

"Hello, Adrien," the woman spoke with calm tone that made Marinette think of a mother deer moving gently over her baby. Her long graceful neck, thin limbs, wide eyes and serene movements also gave her a deer-like appearance. Marinette had an insane desire to hug the woman in front of her, even with the alarms bells going off in her head about the woman's use of Adrien's name.

"Ms…." Adrien trailed off, unsure of himself. He saw Caine nod, a sad movement with a pleading emotion in the caring eyes. "Ms. Zoe?" Adrien took a step forward, letting Marinette's hand drop from his own.

"It is nice that you remember me," Zoe spoke quietly, the long neck bowing toward Adrien, "I certainly remember you. I see your hair remains unruly as always."

Marinette couldn't help the giggle that escaped her. Zoe's eyes were startling, but everything else about her made Marinette feel welcome and safe. There was a quiet elegance to her, a softness that seemed to be completely natural. She didn't pretend that the similarities to Chloe's physical appearance weren't there, but the personalities were on opposite ends of the spectrum.

"And you," Zoe was now directing her questions toward Marinette, "are you the bakers' daughter? The little girl who used to spill flower all over the bakery?" It was Adrien's turn to chuckle, patting Marinette on the back while her cheeks flushed red.

"I'm sorry," Marinette peered at her feet over Tikki's shoulder, "I don't know who you are." Tikki snuggled tighter to Marinette's chest, hiding her face. Glancing to Plagg, Marinette noted him copying Tikki's motion. A sense of dread began to slither its way through Marinette, an evil snake preparing to poison the unexplainable warm comfort that had spread inside of her.

"That's okay, dear," Zoe stepped forward, limping to her right side. "I am Chloe Bourgeois' mother. But you may call me Zoe." Stumbling, Zoe reached out to Caine's offered hand, smiling tenderly at him as she righted herself.

Adrien's chest constricted painfully. At first, he would have sworn it was from discovering both lost mothers in his life alive and well on the same day. But as Zoe continued to approach him, he knew there was something more. "Stop!" he said, flinging a hand out, halting her progress toward them. "Don't come any closer!" He felt the haze pouring over his vision as Plagg whimpered against his chest.

Placing himself in front of Zoe, Caine stared disapprovingly at Adrien. "She won't hurt you." He was scowling at them, lacing an arm around Zoe's waist to guide her further backwards. "She is a victim like your mother, but she escaped on her own. And not without consequences, mind you." Bending at the waist, Caine seized one of Zoe's pant legs, rolling it up.

Dark red scars appeared around Zoe's ankle, reminiscent of the angry spirals that had overtaken Lavande's skin. The area underneath was wasting away, thin almost to the bone and obviously weak. Marinette felt the sickness slam up her throat, clamping a hand over her mouth to prevent it from escaping in any form.

"She didn't have your cataclysm trick," Caine spoke gruffly, every word smeared with resentment. "She did what she had to do to get that thing off." Dropping the fabric, Caine moved to the other leg. Lifting the gauzy fabric he revealed a gold ring, clasped without a seam around Zoe's ankle. It was thick and menacing in the same way Lavande's earrings had been.

Adrien backed up. He knew without a word what Caine was going to ask of him. Plagg whimpered again in his arms, both of them knowing without acknowledging it, that transformation was out of the question. He didn't want Chloe's mother to be in pain, but he didn't have the physical strength to help. "I can't," Adrien whispered, still backing toward the closest door.

"Because she isn't your mother?" Caine didn't yell, instead he growled, deep from his chest. Marinette almost wished he had screamed at them, feeling that it would be far less threatening.

"No," Adrien shook his head, trying to find words in the middle of his fear, "I'm not strong enough." It was a weak answer, but Adrien could barely find the strength to speak the words. Hitting the door with his back, he groped for the handle. "I'm sorry," he whispered, tears springing to his eyes, "I'm so sorry." He flung the door open and fled.

* * *

Three knocks sounded on Adrien's bedroom door. In response he pulled the covers tighter over his head, willing the world to go away. Plagg was somewhere else in the room, leaving Adrien alone to stew in his own thoughts.

Marinette pushed the door open, blinking into the darkness as she balanced a tray on her hip. Dinner had been served to her in her room, a knock on the door and a tray left by someone she never saw. Adrien's tray had remained untouched, until Marinette had lifted it from its place in the hallway.

Hours had passed since Adrien had fled the tower room, leaving Marinette behind to stare at the pleading eyes of Zoe and Caine. She had promised to talk to Adrien, before making her own fleeting escape from the emotionally charged room.

Every ounce of her control had been needed to keep herself from storming after Adrien. By nature, she wanted to fix everything, heal every wound, and repair all signs of damage. She could have transformed in the tower, hoping for the best with the lucky charm call that another bag of healing dust would fall from magical origin. But she didn't, and this fact alone had kept her pacing through her own room, barely able to stomach the carefully plated dinner resting on the dresser. When worry had finally overtaken sense, Marinette had found her way to Adrien's door, only hesitating slightly as she pushed inside.

There was no doubt that Marinette was the source of the footsteps and the small clink that was occurring outside of Adrien's blanket burrito. Even without touching her, he felt his body settle, allowing him a moment of relief from the torturous ache in his chest. Reaching a single hand from under the covers, he sighed when Marinette's fingers wrapped into his own. The touch was a physical personification of hope, and Adrien clung to it until he was able to sit up.

"Hi." Marinette eased onto the bed, letting Adrien drape himself over her lap. "There is food, do you want me to feed you?"

Adrien felt himself laugh at this thought, almost accepting the offer to see if she would go through with it. His Marinette would though. She would carefully cradle his chin and feed him every bite, without a second of hesitation. Smile twitching at the thought, Adrien pushed the blankets from his shoulders and hummed when Marinette rose to retrieve the tray. His voice was still missing in action, but his smile seemed to be enough as the tray was fitted over his lap.

Tikki flew through the room, arms carrying numerous pieces of camembert cheese. She found Plagg, tucked into a pillow, staring blankly out of the open doors to the room's balcony. She didn't speak, as she laid the cheese at Plagg's feet, carefully unwrapping a piece and placing it in his hands. Plagg bit into the cheese, eyes still unflinching as if he was entranced by something they couldn't see.

Both cat partners ate in silence, their ladybug counterparts stroking their backs throughout the process. The actions were so mirrored, it would appear to an outsider that one set was controlling the other. As the food disappeared, the mood in the room lifted, letting all four of them take shaky breaths.

"We need to talk." Adrien was the first to speak, addressing his sentiment to the entire group. Without a word, Marinette stood, moving to close the balcony doors and stuffing a pillow at the seam of the doors to the hallway. It wasn't expert level sound-proofing but it was going to have to do.

Tikki lifted Plagg from the bed, holding his chest flushed to her own and bringing his limp body to Marinette. Accepting him, Marinette pulled him close, rocking her arms and humming a soothing melody.

"I'm not a baby," Plagg huffed, although his shoulders relaxed as he slumped into Marinette's caresses, leaving his point entirely moot.

"Everything is dark," Adrien spoke, barely above a whisper and to no one in particular. "Everything I see has a darkness to it, even the sun seems to be on a dimmer switch." The statements had an air of unconsciousness to them, passing through Adrien's mind and directly out of his mouth without a filter.

"For me too," Plagg mumbled, shifting in Marinette's arms to stare at his teammates in turn. "Xiao's temple, the magic he used to create it, was far stronger than I anticipated. Fu has underestimated his brother. Whether that knowledge is useful can only be told by time."

The bright green was returning to Plagg's eyes, and his small body snuggled contentedly against Marinette, even in spite of the conversation. Experimentally, Adrien reached for Tikki, pulling her to him in the same manner in which Marinette was holding Plagg.

Warmth spread over his chest, sinking into his rib cage and slowing his heart. His body lost its prickly edge, and he found himself laying back against his pillows. Marinette was always a source of comfort for him, but Adrien had never considered that Tikki could provide the same balance. Calm and chaos, destruction and repair, ying and yang, there were all characterizations of the same idea. "Does he know about…?" Adrien pointed a finger upwards toward the ceiling.

"Yes," Tikki answered, placing a hand over Adrien's heart, "Fu studied the wounds and the trinket on Zoe's body to prepare him to treat your mother's wounds."

"Then why didn't he treat Zoe as well?" Marinette felt the flare of indignation and frustration.

"Because of the ring," Adrien didn't know where the answer came from, but he knew it was right. The nods of both kwamis confirmed his assumptions.

Plagg sat up, remaining tangled in Marinette's arms. "The ring on her leg is made of the same hateful spells that created Lavande's earrings, and most likely the dagger. Xiao is messing with ancient magic, the kind that fueled hatred strong enough to start wars. According to Fu, while Xiao is strong and skilled, he doesn't have sustainable control over these forces. And that makes him even more dangerous."

Four chests heaved out heavy breaths. "If Cat Noir is able to remove the ring…?" Marinette glanced around, waiting to be screamed at.

"She might have a chance," Plagg weakly confirmed, his hands circling each other with apparent nerves. "But she would need the dust too. And Master Fu would have to remain here to treat her."

"How long has she survived like that?" Adrien's mother had faded away in the matter of hours, Zoe couldn't possibly have been a resident of Caine's house much longer than that. Even without the stab wound, her body seemed to be dying.

"Zoe has been hiding here for six months," Tikki let the small gasp from the humans dissipate, "she removed the other ring herself, with the aid of Caine."

"But how?!" Adrien couldn't believe his ears. Six months would certainly have meant death for his mother, how had Zoe survived for so long?

"True love's kiss," Tikki said, eying Adrien and Marinette for a reaction.

"She's Chloe's mother though," Marinette chewed her bottom lip in confusion, "isn't Chloe's dad her true love?" Obviously he wasn't and potentially it was Caine instead, but that was too messy and confusing for Marinette to process.

"Not all love is simple. Not everyone is lucky." Tikki sighed.

With that thought hanging between them, the four of them curled under the covers of Adrien's bed, piling together in the center. The conversation was nowhere near over, but they had all lost the will to continue. Heavy eyelids dropping closed, they slept tangled together in a protective hold.

* * *

Moonlight snuck through the parted curtains, coming to rest over Adrien's face and stirring him from sleep. Thoughts came rushing back to him, causing him to poke at Plagg until the black kwami relented to the prodding. Together, they moved through the room and out onto the balcony.

"Plagg…" Adrien started, the questions in his mind tripping down never-ending staircases to break at the bottom.

"I should have warned you," Plagg said, dropping onto Adrien's shoulder, unworried about the lack of eye contact. "I should have told you what could have happened, what did happen. I'm sorry, kid, I thought I could control it."

Reaching up to snag the small black body, Adrien brought his knees up to place Plagg on top of them. "Did you know?" he asked, concern and question painting his model features, "did you know it was going to be that bad?"

Black ears twitched as Plagg shook his head. "I don't think there was any way for me to truly know, but I should have been more cautious. We could have been pulled in. As Xiao's weapons, we would have destroyed the world." Plagg choked on the last few words, tears catching at the bottom of his green eyes.

"We didn't get pulled in though, you helped me fight it, whatever that was." Adrien still had no idea what they had actually been fighting in the temple. He kept returning to the description of darkness, knowing that it wasn't quite good enough.

"Hate," Plagg shuddered, "Xiao is surrounded in hate and building an army to effectuate the spread of it. Hate is so powerful, it turns good men evil, let's people have excuses for the most vile of actions, and poisons the world. All of our world's greatest wars have risen from hate, and it looks like Xiao is prepared to march against the world." Plagg's head dropped to his hands.

Anger. Irritation. Spite. Those were all words that hinted at the emotions accompanying Adrien's current perspective of his world. All of those words, when placed together, formed the foundation for hate. Xiao was forging weapons, building an army, and prepared to bring war out of his hate. "He hates Fu," Adrien stated simply. It wasn't a question really, as Adrien had felt a flutter of that hate in the same direction.

"It is more than that, but yes, essentially, Xiao's hatred of his brother is fueling him to sinister practices." Plagg left Adrien's lap momentarily to float back into room, returning to his place with camembert in hand. "He wants revenge, on a family who devalued him and a brother who was content to leave him behind. His revenge won't be cold though. It will be bathed in a warm bath of blood."

Realization flooded Adrien. In the same way Dark Cupid had been convinced that hate could conquer all, Xiao believed that hate was a force strong enough to tear the whole world apart. But Xiao was wrong. Where there was hate, there would always be love to fight it; another ying and yang balancing the world. The hate plaguing Adrien and Plagg had been fought by the love bestowed upon them by Tikki and Marinette. His mom had broken through her coma of hate by the love expressed in his dad's kiss. And Zoe, she was surviving the constant onslaught of hate, being absorbed by her skin through Xiao's trinket, through the constant love radiating from Caine. "Love conquers hate," Adrien declared, watching Plagg nod, "so now what?"

"Now," Plagg heaved, sinking back onto Adrien's legs, "we return to Paris. We build our own army. And we fight."

* * *

Marinette awoke to the knock at the door, sitting up in the empty bed. Panicking, she glanced around the room, noticing the mop of blond hair peeking over the top of a chair on the balcony. Tikki and Plagg were curled together on Plagg's pillow, and Marinette could smell the faint hint of syrup wafting in through the interior door. Throwing the covers back, she let her feet press into the plush carpet as she made her way onto the balcony.

Adrien was asleep, curled onto the lounge chair with his knees pulled tightly to his chest. His position reminded her of a dozing cat, and she chuckled as she bent to kiss him lightly on the temple. When he stirred, she encouraged him from the chair, guiding his sleepy form back to the bed and easing him under the covers. For only a second it looked as if he was going to protest being put back to bed, but his eyes dropped closed again and his breath immediately fell into the even cadence of slumber.

She watched over him for several minutes, waiting for the tension in his shoulders to finally relax into a deeper state of sleep. Tracing a finger down his cheek, Marinette bent again to place a kiss against his slacked jaw and then soundlessly slipped from the room.

Carefully stepping over the breakfast trays, she flushed with embarrassment realizing that both trays had been placed outside of Adrien's door. If Mr. Agreste found out that they had been sharing a room, he would surely have an embarrassing lecture for both of them. Not wanting to linger on that possibility, she scooped up a single tray and took the few steps across the hall to return to her own room.

Despite the sugary sweetness of the thick syrup, the waffles felt like sandpaper in Marinette's mouth. Every bite was a struggle, each forkful forced passed the ever-present lump in her throat. She needed to talk to someone who could help her make sense of everything going on, but she had no idea who to turn to. Reaching for her cell phone, a surprising find on their first day at Caine's home, she opened her photo gallery to flip through pictures of familiar faces.

Guilt slammed into her stomach, making the waffles churn as the walls clenched against their contents. In her shaky hand rested a picture of her and Alya, taken only weeks prior, before their double date with Nino and Adrien. It felt like looking at a past life, one that Marinette could barely recall as she let the tears finally begin to fall. They splattered on her phone as she quickly moved to call the one person she knew was smart enough to untangle this mess.

* * *

Sleep hadn't come in days. Alya sat at her computer, staring blankly at the screen wondering if it was possible that her eyes were permanently open now. Her body was exhausted, but her mind wouldn't let her rest, no matter how many hours Trixx had spent lecturing her on the subject.

It had also been days since she had seen her partner. On their last day together, they had separated only moments before transformation, Volpina flashing Queen Bee to the safety of the rooftop before flashing off to ensure their joint anonymity. It had terrified her to leave Queen Bee behind, but she knew the rules and she had to trust her partner. Still, she had awaited patrol that evening with a heavy sense of worry, flashing back across the rooftops thirty minutes early.

The sight of the black and yellow shoulders had Volpina diving toward the ground, snagging Queen Bee into a tight hug. There was no resistance as Queen Bee threw her arms around Volpina's waist and clung to her partner for reassurance. When they had finally separated with an awkward laugh, Volpina had tugged Queen Bee to the bench, begging for the details of whatever had scared La Papillion.

That had been several days ago and Alya had not been visited by the sandman since. Her body was heavy with the lack of sleep and her mind felt fuzzy and overworked, but she continued to press on, pushing her computer as hard as she was pushing herself.

Stacks of printed papers sat to the left of her desk, tabs in blue and purple marking their appropriate places. The purple marked all of the appearances of La Papillion that she could find, while the blue were tagging the articles about a miraculous holder named Lady Pois. Her costume matched the image Queen Bee had stolen from La Papillion's mind, and Alya had immediately begun to wonder about the possibility of Adrien's mother being a miraculous holder. It seemed unfair that his parents were rich and magical, but Alya had given up her attitude on that subject almost a day ago. Throwing herself backwards against her desk chair, hands running over her exhausted face, Alya jumped when her phone rang. Blindly reaching for the obnoxious object, tears sprang to her eyes as she saw who was calling her.

* * *

"Marinette?"

At the sound of Alya's voice, Marinette burst into tears. Her best friend looked confused and also emotional on the other side of the phone, and Marinette couldn't hold it together. The sight of Alya was making her heart wrench painfully in her chest.

"Marinette?!" Alya felt the panic rise as she watched her friend dissolve into a hysterical meltdown. "What's wrong? Is it Adrien?" A million thoughts flew through her head, the exhaustion causing her to become confused about what part of her knowledge was real and what part of it was theorized between her, Queen Bee and the World Wide Web. Did Adrien know that his mother was in pain? Did he know his dad knew that? Where was Marinette? Questions banged through Alya's mind rendering her unable to speak as she gaped at her sobbing best friend. The one thought, the loudest of them all, was that Marinette was alive and not much else mattered.

The hysteria began to edge with every word Alya spoke. Marinette could ground herself in the image of her friend, the dark circles that were characteristic of Alya's inability to sleep when she was researching a topic and the frazzled hair confirming Marinette's suspicions of Alya's lack of rest. Breathing deeply through her nose, Marinette covered her eyes with her free hand, whispering into the phone. "You must hate me."

"Hate is a strong word…" Alya trailed off, eyes flicking to Trixx as the kwami moaned in her sleep. "I was angry, but I'm not now. Now I'm worried." Her words were pure truth as she peered into the phone screen, silently counting her blessings that her best friend had survived. "Where's Adrien?" She raised an eyebrow as she watched Marinette's eyes flick to the side of the screen.

"Asleep," Marinette responded, looking back in time to catch Alya's look. "Not in here," she rolled her eyes, relaxing into the feeling of normalcy. So many intense hours had passed since she had last spoken to Alya, and even their last few moments together had been tense. Now though, it felt almost too easy to fall back into their friendship, a comforting place where Marinette always found exactly what she needed. "Things have been…"

"Weird," Alya finished, getting up from her desk chair to stretch out on her bed. "Around here too. Fu gave Gabriel his miraculous back. Queen Bee let him into her head, and we almost managed to grab that stupid peacock brooch." She was in her civilian form, but it felt completely natural to discuss these events with Marinette. Their last discussion outside of their masks had been clipped and full of hidden frustrations, a startling contrast the ease in which Alya was able to speak now. Maybe it was because there were so many questions, maybe it was because she knew none of them had the answers, but whatever it was, Alya let herself relax against her pillows, prepared to let everything out that she had been holding in since the moment the limo had disappeared across the Paris city line.

"I can't… what… he… when… but he's…" Marinette closed her eyes, forcing herself to breathe again. Processing all of Alya's information was making her head hurt and forming sentences had ceased to be a skill she possessed. Closing her eyes, Marinette rubbed the bridge of her nose as she tried to make sense of her own thoughts. "Mr. Agreste is here. So is Master Fu. We found Adrien's mom. She stabbed herself with a magical dagger and…"

"That's what he heard!" Alya sat straight up in bed, staring down at Marinette's image in the palm of her hand. "When Queen Bee was connected with La Papillion, that's what he calls himself now by the way, she heard a scream in her head. She said it sounded like a woman."

Marinette's whole body shuddered with the memory of that scream and all of the events which occurred immediately after it. Attempting to slow down the onslaught of the traumatic recall, she focused on what Alya had said. "How could he hear her? It's not like she was akumatized. She was possessed by these gold earring things that Xiao put on her." Smacking a hand over her mouth, Marinette realized that she had said too much. Alya nor Queen Bee knew anything about Xiao and Marinette had no idea if the limitations on what they could know had been lifted. Groaning, she flopped back on the bed waiting for Alya's questions.

Watching her best friend carefully, Alya weighed her options. A new name had come spilling from Marinette's ramblings, but it was obvious that Marinette regretting revealing it. Normally, Alya would have pushed to get all of the information, but her brain was already filled with angry bees of pent up knowledge. Letting it go for the moment, Alya instead decided to change course. "What made you call me?" It wouldn't be worth it to ask Marinette where she was or what had happened in the days since they had seen each other. Those questions were better reserved for in person conversations where she could properly judge Marinette's reactions. She could ask, however, what had spurred Marinette to reach out to her, after days of anxiety-producing silence, and that was the path she choose, hoping that more truth would reveal itself.

"Things are bad." Staring at the ceiling, Marinette propped her phone on her chest and tried to sort out a way to tell Alya only what she needed to know. "If someone was hurting, and you knew you might be able to help them, would you do it? Even if they could be bad or you could get hurt along the way… would you help them?" Eyes trained on the ceiling, Marinette gritted her teeth as the image of Zoe ghosted through her consciousness. The angry red markings, the thinning body and the warm smile had haunted Marinette throughout the night.

Studying her best friend, Alya felt the pull of sleep dragging her eyelids closed. Her mind was finally beginning to rest, in spite of all the new information she needed to process. Marinette was safe, and so was Adrien, and her mind was happily allowing this news to stop all of the spinning cogs. With the last breath of consciousness, she sighed into the phone trying to come up with an appropriate piece of advice. Eyes slipping closed, Alya muttered "isn't that our job?" as she finally drifted off to dreamland.

Smiling softly at the peaceful face of her best friend, Marinette whispered, "thanks, Alya," as she disconnected the call.

* * *

Adrien found Marinette pacing across the scope of her balcony, muttering under her breath and shaking her head as she attempted to bore a hole through the concrete with her repetitive movement. Gently placing the kwamis on the top of a chair cushion, he stepped forward to directly intervene in her path, catching her as she distractedly crashed into him.

The blush was back on her cheeks and Adrien was suddenly reminded of their first six months as friends. Marinette had stuttered more than she had talked and ran into so many objects, he and Nino had joked about starting a fund to sponsor her weekly evaluations for concussions. It was during those days that he had begun to fall in love with her, and fall had completed on the day he had discovered her standing in Master Fu's loft. Every day since then had been the product of luck he had never possessed, and he glanced down at Tikki in a silent thank you for whatever part her powers had played in his life. Chuckling as Marinette continued to silently stare at him, Adrien leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Want to tell me what you are ranting and raving about?" There were so many options, Adrien didn't have the wherewithal to even guess.

"Zoe…" Marinette trailed off, letting the name out without thinking. She instantly recalled the terrorized look in Adrien's eyes as he fled from the hidden tower, concern causing her to cup his cheeks in her hands. "I mean how I can help her, not you. I know you aren't ready and that's okay, but I have to do something." Adrien's eyes dropped toward the ground and Marinette felt her heart drop with them. She didn't want him to feel guilty or pressured into helping. The choice to help was hers, and not one that he had to make for himself.

"Kid," Plagg appeared next to Marinette's cheek, the nickname, however, was addressed toward Adrien. "We can do this. If what I have overheard is correct, Master Fu is preparing to send you both back to Paris. This might be our last chance to save Zoe. Our partners will protect us." Even with the fear vibrating in his words, Plagg smiled as Tikki hugged him around the neck. "Love conquers all, remember?"

Plagg's words hung between them as the foursome stood together, human hands clasping each other as the kwamis floated with their arms wrapping them close. The agreement was silent, a nod of Adrien's head without any eye contact with his teammates. He was positive that he wouldn't come out of this unscathed, but he trusted that Marinette would be there to help him through it. With a last determined sigh, Adrien finally looked up. "I'll go find Caine," turning on his heels, he dropped Marinette's hands to walk from the room without another word.

Eyes on Adrien's retreating back, Marinette whispered, "Tikki, spots on."

* * *

It had taken twenty minutes of searching for Adrien to discover Caine, sitting silently in an armchair with his head cradled in his hands. Tears were running across his cheeks and Adrien found himself wondering how many people around him were also feeling overwhelmed. He realized, as he stood awkwardly in the doorway of the dusty old room, that the emotions he was feeling were not reserved for him because of his youth. Confusion and heartache could plague everyone, regardless of age or any other factor. Although the realization was sad, it made him feel less alone as he took a cautious step toward his uncle.

Reacting to the sound of footsteps, Caine raised his head to stare at Adrien. The normally calm eyes were filled with stormy darkness, resting on Adrien's face with silent questions furrowing bushy eyebrows. "Sit," Caine said, waving an arm toward the other ancient chair in the room, waiting to continue until Adrien had adjusted himself against the aging fabric. "I never wanted her to have that stupid miraculous. None of you should have them." Heaving a heavy breath, Caine sank against the back of his chair, staring out of the high window overlooking his garden. "Magic is fickle. What is good can be corrupted, and what is bad… well… bad is harder to change. The scale is so easily tipped, it is best not to erect in in the first place."

Staring at his fingers, Adrien could feel the arguments gathering on his tongue. The magic of Plagg had brought Adrien into a world that allowed him to be free. Yes, there had been pain and conflict, but this world also held the greatest love he had ever known. Together, they had accomplished amazing things, and Adrien refused to acknowledge that everything about the miraculouses was bad. Deciding that silence was his best option, Adrien continued to stare at his own interlaced fingers as Caine continued.

"We were in love back then, you know," Caine's voice had taken on a dreamy tenor, reminding Adrien of the way he sounded whenever he spoke of Marinette, "the miraculouses came to us all, but I was the only one to refuse." Adrien sat bolt upright in his seat, breathe catching as his heart began to slam in his chest. "Your mom and dad loved the idea of being superheroes, and Zoe… well Zoe was your mother's best friend and they were inseparable. If your mother was going to be a superhero, than Zoe was going to be one as well." Eyes sliding closed, Caine made a small noise as if he was remembering a great pain. As a single tear rolled down his cheek, Adrien realized that he was. "The day I handed my box back to Master Fu, with a big thank-you-no-thank-you, was the day everything began to unravel. The three of them were always sneaking off, fighting bank robbers or shoplifters or whatever petty crime was around Paris at that point. They left me alone in my own stubbornness, giving up fighting with me on the issue after only a week." His Adam's apple bobbed as Caine tried to swallow.

"There was another miraculous holder, a giant yellow looking creature with a devious smile that began to run with them. I never who he was out of costume, and still don't to this day. But I do know that it is through him that Zoe met Chloe's father, a beast of a man who was the definition of a lion in sheep's clothing. The day I saw them together, lips pressed in vile kiss, I left Paris and never looked back." Caine quieted then, finally bringing his gaze to Adrien's face. "Then one day she was here, a single suitcase in hand, miraculous missing and tears streaming down her face."

Adrien could see that the story wasn't over and braced himself for whatever was coming next. There was still a strained, tense look to Caine's face, a sign that whatever unfolded next was not going to be pleasant.

"We were happy… for months we were happy here together, living in a bubble that was all our own. I worked and when I came home, she would be proudly waving an arm at a table filled to the brim with delicious food." A soft smile, which didn't quite reach Caine's eyes, appeared on his face as he shared the memory. Before he began again, it disappeared, replaced by a look that could only be described as tortured. "Then one day I came home and the house was empty. Furniture was overturned, vases were broken. Every floor of the house showed signs of a struggle. My Zoe was gone, and I knew it hadn't been by choice."

Caine was describing Adrien's worst nightmare. Even before he knew that Ladybug was Marinette, Adrien had suffered through countless nightmares of each of them being captured. After the reveal, and the discovery that his two loves were one person, the nightmares had increased causing many sleepless nights when Cat Noir stood guard over Marinette's window. He had many theoretical plans to find her if she had gone missing, but the chance of it happening still made him feel ill. Any animosity he had felt towards his uncle, fell away as Adrien continued to listen to his story.

"I searched for months. I followed every clue. I came to Paris and screamed at your father, only finding out then that your mother had disappeared too. I had begged him to use to his powers then, to lend me your mother's miraculous so that we could fight together, but his heart had turned dark. The loss of your mother had stolen the will for good from your father, and I knew that he wouldn't be any help." Caine flushed then, a heat covering his cheeks that made him appear younger than the wrinkles and gray hair at his temples. "I shouldn't have left you. I wanted to take you with me, but then I saw you with your friends. I knew that you had found happiness despite your father's coldness. Later, I would find out that you had become a holder yourself. I will never forgive myself for letting that happen."

"I'm happy," Adrien spoke, hearing his words as they filled the gap between them. "I have friends, I have Marinette, but I also have Cat Noir. He is a part of who I am, and I don't regret that." Years of speaking with adults helped Adrien convey his thoughts, even with the hurricane building inside of him. "But enough, how did you find Zoe again?" He didn't want to argue. Adrien had learned long ago that Agreste men didn't fight fair in verbal arguments, himself included. There was no advantage to arguing now, as the Agreste stubbornness would allow neither of them to bend to the other.

"I found her by chance. There were holder spottings in Tibet, so I went, spending days watching and waiting for a sign." Caine had let the subject of Adrien drop, but the narrowing of his eyes told Adrien that Caine wasn't happy about it. "When I saw them, agile soldiers in mock costumes, I knew something far more sinister was going on. I tracked them carefully back to Tibet and from there, across the desert to the landing point where I dropped you. I camped for several days, almost giving up hope when she stumbled over the horizon." The last word was choked, Caine dropping his head back into his hands as if the memory was still happening.

Empathy rose in Adrien's chest. Given what Zoe looked like now, his mind couldn't fathom how she had looked traveling on foot after escaping Xiao's temple of hate. He didn't want to know, and knew that he couldn't stomach the details so he gave Caine a way out. "And now she is here. And we're going to help her." Standing, Adrien crossed the room facing the doorway as he placed a hand on Caine's shoulder. "We'll do the best we can. We help people, that's who we are, that's what our miraculouses mean to us." Feeling the shaking breath vibrate through Caine's body, Adrien dropped his hand and left the room, his determination renewed as he climbed the stairs to return to his partner.

* * *

Ladybug stood where Marinette had been, only her figure was still, arms resting on the balcony railing as Plagg floated near her head. They weren't speaking, but Adrien could see the smile on Ladybug's face and reasoned that Plagg had probably been sharing his personal brand of humor with the red heroine. Stepping through the threshold of the door, Adrien wrapped an arm around Ladybug's waist, propping his chin on her shoulder to nuzzle into the side of her head. "Hey," he whispered, careful to avoid speaking directly into her ear.

"Hey," she said, turning to let herself be drawn into Adrien's arms. "Did you tell him?" Her answer was delayed by Adrien kissing her, nodding as he brought their lips together. Smiling, she pushed him back and raised her eyebrows. "What are you up to?" Playfully, she dodged his next attempt to kiss her, arching her back to keep her distance until she got her answer.

"Aren't balconies supposed to be romantic or something?" Adrien was smirking in Marinette's direction, teasingly leaning forward to try to kiss her again. His partner was here, solid and alive and after hearing Caine's story, he wanted nothing more than a few minutes to reaffirm this. He laughed when she continued to lean back, holding her waist so that she wouldn't take them both crashing to the ground. "Romeo and Juliet thought so."

"Romeo and Juliet ended up dead." She realized her mistake when the color vanished from Adrien's face. "That's not… I mean… we aren't dumb and in love, we're smart and in love… and superheroes. We're superheroes!" Marinette waved her hand in front of her own face, in a comical gesture toward her own mask. Her panic was broken when Adrien began to laugh.

"I don't think that we fit the mold for star-crossed lovers," Adrien kissed her nose, jumping when the beeping nose rang from her ear. "What…?" he asked, closing his eyes instinctively as her transformation began.

Shaking out her pigtails, Marinette stood before him dangling a velvet bag between her fingers. It was exactly like that bag that she had produced standing in the airplane cabin. Tucking it into her pants pocket, Marinette bent to retrieve a cookie from the tray and handed it to Tikki. "Give me ten minutes and then I'll be ready," the kwami chirped, chomping into the cookie with a grin on her face.

 _Five minutes_ , Adrien thought, sinking into the chair behind him. In five minutes he would be fighting the darkness again, and he could only hope that he would survive it once more.

* * *

Neither of them spoke as they climbed the spiral staircase. Ahead of them, Caine was leading the way, also lost in his own thoughts. They had climbed these steps once before as Marinette and Adrien, but now they made their way as Ladybug and Cat Noir.

The heavy door creaked open, revealing Zoe curled on her side on the bed. Her forehead was covered with beads of sweat and her breathing was shallow. A weak hand reached for Caine as he rushed to her side, and she moaned as he pressed a cold compress to her head. Pleading eyes found Cat Noir's, Caine silently begging them to help her and fast. Her survival wasn't guaranteed, but without them there would be no hope.

Next to him, Ladybug held the gold dust in one hand and the bag of cat nip in the other. Cat Noir could already feel the distraction of the cat nip dancing around the edges of his mind, and shook his head to clear the fog. Taking a step toward Zoe, his green eyes narrowed as he watched Caine expose the seamless gold ring around her ankle.

His stomach churned as he took in the sight of the vicious red markings, blood red across the expanse of Zoe's leg. The area around the gold ring looked burned and as Cat Noir knelt next to the bed, the distinct scent of burned flesh stuck in his nose. Trembling, he focused his eyes on the joined hands of Zoe and Caine as he quietly called for his cataclysm.

Everything happened at once. Cat Noir growled, a sound buried in pain and terror, as his hand began to glow with the force of destruction. With the remainder of his control, he carefully lowered it, grazing only his fingertips against the gold ring. As soon as his power subsided, he collapsed, a heap of crying despair at the foot of the bed as Ladybug rushed to his side.

Zoe was screeching, thrashing on the bed as Caine attempted to hold her down as he called out to Ladybug. Tearing herself away from her partner, Ladybug grabbed the bag of gold dust and began sprinkling it across Zoe's body as she had seen Caine do on the plane. The screeching subsided, and Zoe laid still, muscles twitching in her legs as the red marks began to slowly recoil to their place of origin at her ankles. Her eyes were wet with tears and unfocused as Caine leaned over her, lost in his own fear.

Twisting, Ladybug shoved the cat nip under Cat Noir's nose. His body shuddered as his hands greedily snatched the bag from her to shove it hard against his face. Every space in his mind was filled with a dark ink, spreading over every thought and infecting every feeling. His stomach was lurching as he continued to fight, inhaling the blocking scents of the cat nip and blindly groping his way into Ladybug's lap.

The door slammed open, revealing Gabriel and Master Fu with mixed looks of fury and concern. Gabriel stormed across the room, hauling Cat Noir off of the bed and glaring at his brother. "I told you no," he spoke through gritted teeth, gathering Cat Noir against his chest as if he was a small child and not a lanky teenager. "I will never forgive you, if…"

"My choice, Father," Cat Noir muttered as he transformed in front of them all, reappearing as Adrien limply lying in his father's arm. "Love not hate," he whispered as he passed into unconsciousness. Speechless, Gabriel turned to leave, carrying Adrien in his arms down the winding staircase.

"I told you…" Master Fu did not have the same malice as Gabriel, but his hard glare in Caine's direction told Ladybug that they had potentially made an uninformed decision. "Come," he ordered, pausing at the doorway with his back still to the room, "you leave for Paris tonight. Gather your things immediately." Disappearing down the stairs, Master Fu gave Ladybug no opportunity to argue.

Pink and red lights filled the small room causing Marinette to take Ladybug's place. Stealing her back against the orders fired at her by Master Fu, she gathered both kwamis into her arms, shifting to allow Tikki to tuck Plagg between them. The kwami was as unconscious as his human counterpart and Marinette could feel the panic welling inside of her.

She made it one step toward the door when a small voice called her name. Sickness still building in her stomach, she turned to face Zoe.

"Don't trust her," Zoe wheezed, her voice raw from screaming and her body weak from separating from the evil control. "Lavande. Don't trust her."

With those words ringing in her ears, Marinette ran down the stairs to find Adrien.

* * *

The pilot at the helm of their plane was a quiet man, who spoke in a language Marinette didn't recognize. He had pointed them into their seats, signaling for them to clasp their seatbelts. Adrien was barely on his feet now, recovering only an hour before they were due to take flight. She wanted to talk to him, wanted to understand the darkness creeping in his eyes, Instead he wanted to silently cling to her, keeping his entire body pressed against Marinette's side as his continued to quake.

Plagg was tucked into a healing pillow, braced on Marinette's lap with Tikki sitting beside his head running a small red hand over him as he slept. Master Fu had healed Plagg and placed him in the bed without speaking a word to her, their eyes never connecting during the entire process.

Across the plane, Lavande Agreste leaned against Gabriel. Both of them were dressed in business suits, look every bit the picture perfect image of a power couple. It was perhaps still Zoe's warning ringing in her ears, but Marinette didn't trust the small smile on Lavande's lips or the way her hands curled around Gabriel's arm. Everything Adrien's mom was doing felt possessive and controlling, and Marinette could feel the dislike growing like a beast inside of her.

She needed Alya. Adrien was in no shape to discuss anything that was going on, as he continued to quiver against her in his own quest to relieve the aggressive darkness still fighting inside of his body. Alya could help her figure out the truth. Her best friend would know how to sort through Caine's story and every event that happened since they had stepped off the plane in Tibet. Together, with Alya and Queen Bee, the four of them would decipher the truth, weeding out the adults' motivations to skew their opinions in one direction or another.

The brief consideration of revealing Queen Bee's identity also passed through her tired mind. They needed to all trust each other, now more than ever, and Marinette would gauge the relationship of their teammates when they returned to Paris. If they had grown together, as Marinette hoped they had, then it was time for Queen Bee to shed her secret. They would protect each other, using the miraculouses as they were intended to rid the world of Xiao's growing hate.

Wrapping a protective arm around Adrien and her other arm around the pillow holding their kwamis, Marinette turned to face the window. No matter what happened when they landed, Adrien was not returning to his home. She would make it her mission to protect her entire team, starting with the man she loved and never stopping until the threat of Xiao was no more.

* * *

 **I am participating in the Miraculous Big Bang and will be releasing a completed story based off the continuation of The Last Date which combines the adventure elements of this story and the fluff of The Last Date along with the amazing art of dontcallmebugaboo.**


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